Shivangi Agarwal, a 25-year-old Delhi-based woman, suffered from unbearable stomach pain owing to which she had to leave from her work and visit a doctor. The doctor recommended few tests and to her dismay, the test results were not so pleasing. To her dismay, she was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Though medications and lifestyle modifications helped her to recover, timely diagnosis and treatment remained the key which is also the need of the hour. Though, there are many people who are suffering from it but still there is a lack of awareness regarding the same. Here, Dr Vinay Samuel Gaikwad, Senior consultant and head – GI surgery, Paras Hospitals Gurgaon, briefs you about the condition and suggests the treatment as well.
Read: Can insulin treat acute pancreatitis?
As per Dr Vinay Samuel Gaikwad, “Digestive fluids and insulin hormone are produced by the pancreas which is an organ in the upper abdomen and the inflammation of the pancreas is termed as pancreatitis. It can be of two types – acute pancreatitis which lasts for a few days and chronic pancreatitis which lasts for many years. But, it can be life-threatening in some cases.”
Causes:
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Gallstone
• Infection, serious tissue damage and bleeding of the gland can occur in acute pancreatitis
• It can affect the heart, kidney and lungs
• Hereditary
Read: 5 signs your pancreas is not working properly
Symptoms:
- Pain in upper abdominal
- Swollen of abdomen
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Increased heart rate
Treatment :
• Surgery is rarely required and the treatment is supportive.
• Lifestyle modifications are recommended – maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption and quitting smoking.
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