Pancreatitis is a health condition known as an inflammation or infection of the pancreas; the organ in the body that deals with a great deal of digestive enzymes. It’s an extremely common condition, and an estimated 8.9 million cases were measured globally during 2015.
Reported infections of pancreatitis are on the increase, and it’s estimated that there are as many as 73 cases per 100, 000 people in the United States. It can be a painful health condition, and left untreated it could even be fatal.
It’s vital that you know the symptoms of pancreatitis so that you can spot it and seek medical attention if it were to happen to you. It’s important to note that some factors, including heavy drinking, automatically heightens your risk. A family history of the disease might also come into play.
Here are 12 critical and important symptoms of pancreatitis to watch out for.
1. Pain That Gets Worse
Pancreatitis is a condition characterised by extreme pain and discomfort due to the inflammation of the pancreas, and this pain and discomfort can be felt throughout the body and in several different ways – though many people describe the pain as being limited to one area, usually near where the pancreas is located.
This doesn’t always apply, and pain can still be experienced in various parts of your body – if you are combining several symptoms with one another, then it could still be pancreatitis even if you don’t experience pain in a place that’s normally associated with an inflamed pancreas.
It’s common for patients to report that the pain is limited to the upper body – and goes around the back, following the pattern of a belt that wraps around the body. This might also be combined with tenderness or pain in other parts of the body.
See your doctor if you experience any kind of pain that gets progressively worse over time.
