Pancreatitis
is a condition that can cause severe belly pain. The pancreas is an organ that makes hormones
and juices that help break down food.
Pancreatitis is the term for when this organ gets irritated or swollen.
Most people
get over pancreatitis without any long-lasting effects. But a few people get
very sick.
There are
many causes of pancreatitis. But most cases are caused by gallstones or alcohol
abuse:
-Gallstones
– Gallstones are hard lumps that form inside an organ called the
gallbladder. Both the pancreas and the
gallbladder drain into a single tube. If
that tube gets clogged by a gallstone, neither of the organs can drain. When that happens, the fluids from both
organs get backed up. That can cause
pain.
-Alcohol
abuse – People who drink too much alcohol for too long sometimes get
alcohol-related pancreatitis. People
with this form of pancreatitis usually start to feel pain 1 to 3 days after
drinking a lot of alcohol or after they suddenly stop drinking. They usually also have nausea and vomiting.
Pancreatitis
is usually treated in the hospital.
There, your doctor or nurse can give you fluids and pain medicines to
help you feel better. If you cannot eat,
they can give you food through a tube.
If you have a more mil case of pancreatitis, you can be discharged home
with medications for pain and the plan to increase fluid intake for the next
24-48 hours.
Some people
with pancreatitis get an infection, which can be treated with antibiotics. Other possible problems caused by
pancreatitis are fluid buildup around the pancreas or organ failure. Fluid buildup around pancreas often goes away
on its own but sometimes needs to be drained or treated with surgery. Organ failure is usually handled by a team of
doctors in intensive care.
Another
important part of treatment is to get rid of the cause of the
pancreatitis. If your pancreatitis is
caused by gallstones, your doctor might need to treat them, too. People with pancreatitis from alcohol use
must learn to give up alcohol to keep from getting pancreatitis again.
Return to
the Emergency Department if you develop a fever (≥38.0
°C or 100.4 °F), your pain worsens or is constant for 6 hours, you develop
jaundice (a yellow discoloration of the skin or the eyes), persistent or
worsening nausea or vomiting, or any other new or concerning symptoms.
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
No comments:
Post a Comment