Pancreatic Conditions

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas that lasts several days. The condition is primarily caused by alcohol abuse and gallstones that block the common bile duct (the tube that transports bile from the gallbladder and liver through the pancreas). Although most cases clear up with treatment, a small percentage can cause infection and multiple-organ failure.

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms.

Chronic pancreatitis is a long-term condition that gradually destroys the pancreas. This inflammation causes the organ’s cells to malfunction and become permanently damaged.

Cystic fibrosis is a rare inherited condition that can develop into chronic pancreatitis and is often diagnosed in childhood. This disorder causes gluey mucus to plug ducts in the pancreas, preventing digestive enzymes from entering the small intestine and breaking down food.

The food you eat is broken down into sugar (glucose) and sent to your bloodstream. When your blood sugar rises, the pancreas releases insulin, which your cells use as energy. When you have diabetes, your pancreas either produces too little insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it makes. Insulin is a necessary substance for transporting glucose to your body’s cells. This imbalance can cause significant complications, including kidney disease, heart disease, nerve damage, hearing impairment, and high blood pressure.

Your pancreas is crucial to digestion because it produces enzymes that break down the food in your small intestine. If you have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), your body can’t adequately digest food, even with a healthy diet.

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect because the pancreas is deep in the abdomen and can't be felt when pressed. It can also grow undetected for a long time and lack symptoms. Sometimes symptoms don’t appear until the disease has reached an advanced stage.

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and close to the duodenum — the first part of the small intestine. The pancreas secretes digestive juices, or enzymes, into the duodenum through a tube called the pancreatic duct. Pancreatic enzymes join with bile — a liquid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder — to digest food.