Pancreatitis
Introduction
Pancreatitis results when the pancreas is inflamed. Your pancreas is a gland located near your stomach. It produces fluids that assist with food digestion. Certain conditions can cause the digestive fluids to become trapped inside the pancreas. As the fluids accumulate, they cause pain and swelling. This can lead to pancreas damage and loss of function.
Pancreatitis needs to be treated to avoid life threatening medical complications. Treatment for pancreatitis is aimed at treating the underlying cause of the inflammation, relieving symptoms, and restoring function. This may be achieved with medications and in some cases surgery.
Anatomy
Causes
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Am I at Risk
Acute pancreatitis occurs more frequently in adults than children and in more men than women. Alcohol related acute and chronic pancreatitis is more common in men. Pancreatitis caused by gallstones is more common in women that are over the age of 50 years old.
Complications
Advancements
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The iHealthSpot patient education library was written collaboratively by the iHealthSpot editorial team which includes Senior Medical Authors Dr. Mary Car-Blanchard, OTD/OTR/L and Valerie K. Clark, and the following editorial advisors: Steve Meadows, MD, Ernie F. Soto, DDS, Ronald J. Glatzer, MD, Jonathan Rosenberg, MD, Christopher M. Nolte, MD, David Applebaum, MD, Jonathan M. Tarrash, MD, and Paula Soto, RN/BSN. This content complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The library commenced development on September 1, 2005 with the latest update/addition on February 16, 2022. For information on iHealthSpot’s other services including medical website design, visit www.iHealthSpot.com.