{"id":3420,"date":"2019-01-11T09:20:51","date_gmt":"2019-01-11T09:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/?p=3420"},"modified":"2021-08-11T01:28:15","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T01:28:15","slug":"12-critical-pancreatitis-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/12-critical-pancreatitis-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Critical Pancreatitis Symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pancreatitis is a health condition known as an inflammation or infection of the pancreas; the organ in the body that deals with a lot of digestive enzymes. It\u2019s an extremely common condition, and an estimated 8.9 million cases were measured globally during 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reported infections of pancreatitis are on the increase, and it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 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\u2019s important to note that some factors, including heavy drinking, automatically heightens your risk. A family history of the disease might also come into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 12 critical and important symptoms of pancreatitis to watch out for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Pain That Gets Worse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pancreatitis <\/a>is a condition characterized 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 \u2013 through many people describe the pain as being limited to one area, usually near where the pancreas is located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This doesn\u2019t always apply, and pain can still be experienced in various parts of your body \u2013 if you are combining several symptoms with one another, then it could still be pancreatitis even if you don\u2019t experience pain in a place that\u2019s normally associated with an inflamed pancreas.
It\u2019s common for patients to report that the pain is limited to the upper body \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See your doctor if you experience any kind of pain that gets progressively worse over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Shortness of Breath<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shortness of breath is an important symptom <\/a>that can tell you a lot about what\u2019s going on with your body \u2013 and it can tell you a lot more than most people think. It\u2019s all too often ignored as a symptom of something bigger affecting your health, and it could be likely that there\u2019s something seriously wrong with your health (pancreatitis or not) if you are experiencing an increasing amount of incidences where you had shortness of breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be a lot of things causing this: It could be the fact that you are just unfit, it could be pointing to an underlying heart condition, it might be asthma that should be treated \u2013 or you might just be on your way to showing symptoms of this season\u2019s flu infection. But it could also be pancreatitis, especially if you can combine it with several of the symptoms that have already been mentioned on this list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Indigestion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The pancreas<\/a> is an instrumental (and yet for some reason understated) organ that helps to regulate the production of digestive enzymes; if there\u2019s something wrong with your pancreas in any way, the first place this will start to show is your digestive system \u2013 and you should take note of any symptoms that are related to digestion especially when you combine them with any other symptoms mentioned on this list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indigestion from pancreatitis will be harder to get rid of than normal indigestion \u2013 and it\u2019s a definite warning sign if you have been having regular problems with indigestion and nothing else seems to help; often, indigestion from pancreatitis also won\u2019t be as closely related to your diet \u2013 and can happen regardless of what you eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At some point you have to stop treating something like indigestion symptomatically and make a choice to seek medical help, especially for life-threatening conditions like underlying pancreatitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Nausea and Vomiting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Indigestion isn\u2019t the only symptom related to your digestive system that could point to warning signs of pancreatitis: You might also experience nausea <\/a>and vomiting if you have an inflamed pancreas \u2013 and you might even start to experience this symptom when your body is still \u201cgearing up\u201d for the inflammation to come, meaning that you might experience this symptom before any of the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nausea and vomiting that doesn\u2019t go away can be extremely dangerous to your health \u2013 and it can even cause you to dehydrate to the point of organ failure. Never leave it for too long, and seek immediate medical attention if you have been experiencing vomiting or nausea for too an extended period of time \u2013 especially when combined with any of the other symptoms mentioned on this list that could be tied to pancreatitis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repeated vomiting is also known to cause other medical issues such as ruptures or hernias, so be especially careful \u2013 and if you must vomit, press a pillow down to your stomach to prevent any tearing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Sensitivity in Your Abdomen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pain isn\u2019t just the most straightforward symptom of a pancreatitis infection <\/a>\u2013 in fact, it doesn\u2019t have to start with pain at all. Many patients report that one of the first symptoms they experienced was a marked sensitivity in their abdomen: Sensitive especially to any touching or slight pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can also make symptoms like nausea or vomiting worse \u2013 and you should be very careful when attempting to press anything in your body that you aren\u2019t sure about. Pressing an inflamed body part, especially a swollen pancreas, can cause havoc if just pressed a little bit too hard: Things can rupture on the inside, and you can suddenly have an infection raging through your bloodstream and going right to your heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be careful that you don\u2019t get hurt or knocked in any sensitive areas if you suspect pancreatitis: Go straight to the emergency room as fast yet carefully as you can. Remember to note your symptoms as fully as you can to your doctor: This can save a lot of time in an emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. High Blood Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Normal baseline blood pressure<\/a> levels are usually measured at 120 over 80 when the measurement is taken; higher or lower than that and you should keep a closer eye on your blood pressure from then on, and if the condition is chronic your doctor might prescribe blood pressure medications and some lifestyle changes to keep the condition under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While high blood pressure can be a health condition on its own and will need to be managed accordingly when chronic, higher than normal blood pressure levels are also often seen in both raging infections and cases of pancreatitis; in both cases, medical professionals will try to get the blood pressure back under control as soon as possible, as extended high blood pressure can lead to complications such as heart attack or stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are combining several symptoms on this list with a high BP reading, make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Inability to Eat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An actively inflamed pancreas goes along with many different digestive symptoms, and can also easily be characterized by the inability to eat. When your pancreas is infected or inflamed, it will mean that your body isn\u2019t doing what it should \u2013 and you will have problems with anything that\u2019s affected by the digestive enzymes that the body relies on the pancreas for to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the symptoms <\/a>associated with pancreatitis can be made much worse by eating, including vomiting, nausea, and pain \u2013 and this can mean that people lose nutrients at a very rapid rate when eating isn\u2019t possible and vomiting takes over, making you lose minerals and fluids. Pancreatitis can be a potentially deadly medical condition, especially when pancreatitis is allowed to continue for a while without proper medical diagnosis or treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are some great home remedies for alleviating nausea (and many of them that work), they won\u2019t do much to stave off the symptoms of pancreatitis \u2013 and they likely won\u2019t do anything about the infection itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Pseudocysts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pancreatitis or internal inflammation <\/a>left untreated for a long time can easily lead to a range of other serious health conditions, some of which we\u2019ve already mentioned in this article and some of which we\u2019re still getting to: One of these complications associated with pancreatitis is called pancreatic pseudocysts, and these are cysts that appear on the pancreas and surrounding tissue from the physical tissue damage that can be associated with untreated pancreatitis. It doesn\u2019t occur in many cases of pancreatitis, but when it does, these pseudocysts can only be excised surgically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people want to avoid surgery if they can help it, though sometimes there is no other way \u2013 and other times, it really does help to get yourself to a doctor the moment you start noticing odd symptoms related to your health: Going to a doctor early can mean that your symptoms are spotted far before more advanced symptoms of the disease have a chance to become a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Hiccups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Digestive conditions are a vast field \u2013 in fact, that\u2019s why there are many doctors and surgeons who specialize only in digestive disorders; it can include some of the common and obvious conditions, but it can also include things you might not have thought about \u2013 and might not mention to your doctor when it\u2019s actually an indicator of something very important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiccups happen to everyone every once in a while, but you have to think about your health when it starts to happen regularly. Hiccups <\/a>can be a sign of the fact that something is irritating your diaphragm and digestive tract \u2013 this can include conditions like acid reflux, but it can also include pancreatitis, and you should take it very seriously if several symptoms on this list show up, even if the symptom appears to be less serious at first \u2013 like hiccups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See your doctor if you have several symptoms at once: In this case, it\u2019s usually best to spot whatever has been ailing you early on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Bloating<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bloating <\/a>is a symptom that can indicate several different infections and health conditions, and it\u2019s best to see your doctor immediately if you have experienced any bloating for a long period of time, or are currently experiencing bloating that doesn\u2019t go away. This is true even if you aren\u2019t experiencing any symptoms on this list with it: Bloating can point to some very serious deficiencies in your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For men and women both, bloating can be an indicator of hormone imbalances or digestive conditions \u2013 and most causes, including endometriosis for women, will fall under either one of these two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We already know that pancreatitis can affect the digestive system to a large degree, so it shouldn\u2019t be that much of a surprise to find out that it can also make the stomach appear bloated \u2013 and this may (or may not) be painful to the touch, but should be touched and prodded with extreme care to prevent any further discomfort or injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Weight Loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sudden weight loss is another digestive symptom that is commonly associated with an inflamed pancreas and it happens because \u2013 you guessed it \u2013 the pancreas can no longer effectively produce or regulate digestive enzymes<\/a>, and this means that the body can\u2019t digest the way it should: So, all-in-all, you\u2019re getting a lot less nutrients than you\u2019re supposed to, and your body reacts by dropping weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who consider themselves to be on a diet should be especially careful of weight loss, because they might think that their sudden weight loss is a goal instead of a symptom \u2013 but when weight loss happens too fast for your diet plan, this is almost never a good thing and could point to something wrong with your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make an appointment with your doctor the moment you spot any rapid or unusual weight loss: Even if it doesn\u2019t turn out to be pancreatitis, it can\u2019t hurt to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Fever and Chills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fever <\/a>is the body\u2019s immune system reaction to fighting an infection, and it\u2019s when your body attempts to create an environment that\u2019s too harsh for the bacteria or virus to keep multiplying in \u2013 this is great, but all medical professionals will tell you that you shouldn\u2019t rely on this natural response to fight an infection over medical intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, in most cases, doctors end up trying to get rid of a fever instead: Running a fever too long is extremely dangerous, and could even cause your body to go into shock or make your organs start to shut down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if a fever can\u2019t get rid of the infection, then what can it do? It can tell you something very useful about your body \u2013 and point to a raging infection. If you experience any of the other symptoms on this list at the same time, then it could easily be pointing right towards pancreatitis, too: You should see your doctor or make a trip to the emergency room if you are experiencing related symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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