Are You At Risk For Pancreatitis?

You, like millions of others in the world are probably thinking "What is pancreatitis?". It is an illness that attacks the pancreas, and it is something that everyone should know how to prevent. Pancreatitis is uncommon, but when it hits it packs a punch. Are you at risk for pancreatitis?

The pancreas is something very complex that most people take for granted. It is needed for everyday life and you will have to keep it healthy for a lifelong digestive system running smoothly. You use your pancreas every time you eat, and you do need it. Once it becomes ill, it is quite a process to repair it.

Pancreatitis is an illness where the pancreas actually begins to attack itself. Imagine that you have just consumed a large bowl of chili and your pancreas is trying to break that chili down. During the process, it releases enzymes and they begin to basically eat the pancreas apart. The entire episode of a pancreatitis attack is very painful for most sufferers. It can also come along with back pains, diarrhea, vomiting, and fevers.

The pain that is a result of pancreatitis is what usually alarms the patient to head directly to the hospital. The pain is generalized just under the rib cage on the right side. It can become completely unbearable and in these cases, you are better off going to have the pain checked out. Once at the hospital, they will check your blood and from there it will tell the doctors if your results come back with a positive match for the illness. They can identify this by the level of enzymes in your blood, when they are off the charts and too high they know they have a disease such as pancreatitis to treat. From there, they will give you something for the pain that is usually very strong such as morphine. You will not be able to eat any foods by mouth for quite some time. This is not a technique used to punish the patient, it is to be used to allow the pancreas to have a break from trying to digest solid foods.

This disease can come out of nowhere. Some have a rare form that is hereditary, and others have basically self inflicted their pancreas to get it to this state. Certain things such as consuming too much alcohol on a regular basis, drug use and poor dieting can all lead to this result. Stay on a path of low fat foods, drink lots of water and always advise your doctor if you are experiencing any pains in your abdomen, especially the upper sections. In most cases, pancreatitis can be cured or at least treated to the point where you can have a stable life.