Our pancreas performs important functions in the body by producing enzymes that help digest food and the hormones insulin and glucagon that help control blood sugar levels. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that occurs when digestive juices and enzymes attack the pancreas. Excessive alcohol intake, gallbladder stones, cholesterol, and smoking can increase your risk of this disease. Severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, and fluid accumulation in the abdomen are some of the symptoms of pancreatitis. (Also read | Loss of pancreatic cells in older adults may cause age-related diabetes: study)
The pancreas is an important digestive organ, but one that is little known to the general public. Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) is a common condition. It may be a milder form that requires only a little medication and lifestyle changes, and can be treated on an outpatient basis. However, there are severe forms that can be fatal and sometimes life-threatening.
Dr. Vijay Kumar C Bada, Senior Consultant, Clinical Director, Surgical Gastroenterology, HPB, Yashoda Hospital, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad, suggests ways to tackle this disease.
How to avoid pancreatitis
Dr. Bada shares five ways to prevent pancreatitis.
1. Reduce your alcohol intake
Alcohol consumption, in any form, frequency, or amount, has a major effect on the pancreas. The most common cause of acute and severe pancreatitis is alcohol. Stopping alcohol intake will definitely keep your pancreas safe and healthy.
2. Removal of gallbladder stones
Stones in the gallbladder (cholelithiasis) are also the most common cause of pancreatitis. Gallbladder stones can slip into the bile ducts and block the pancreatic ducts, causing pancreatitis. Gallbladder stones are relatively common. Most are asymptomatic and are usually discovered as an incidental finding on abdominal ultrasound. If gallbladder and stones are detected, either incidentally or symptomatically, it is always recommended to undergo surgery to remove them. In this way, pancreatitis can be definitely prevented.
3. Cholesterol control
Increased cholesterol or triglycerides in the blood is a significant risk factor for developing pancreatitis. Increased cholesterol can be due to many reasons that are familiar to people. Getting treatment for high cholesterol levels, managing blood cholesterol levels, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to prevent hypercholesterolemia will definitely help you avoid pancreatitis.
4. Go to review
There are several unique diseases of the pancreas that can cause pancreatitis despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A genetic disease runs in the family and can cause pancreatitis. The pancreas has few anatomical abnormalities. namely, the pancreatic division, the annular pancreas, and several other tissues that are present in an individual from birth. Such defects can cause pancreatitis at any age in individuals. Proper screening by an experienced health care professional is essential if you are at risk of suffering from any of these congenital pancreatic disorders. For example, if you have a family member or sister who has had pancreatitis of unknown cause, you should be alert to the possibility of such pancreatic disease and take appropriate screening precautions.
Other causes
There are some other less common causes of pancreatitis. There are several other conditions that can cause pancreatitis, including pancreatic cancer, abdominal injuries, drugs, high levels of parathyroid hormone, high calcium levels, and cystic fibrosis, but their incidence is very low. is. If an individual is suffering from an attack of pancreatitis and the cause has not been found, such a rare possibility should be evaluated at a center with extensive experience in treating pancreatic diseases.
