Top Health Tips on Treating Pancreatitis

How much alcohol can you safely drink every day? Moderate, say the experts. Alcohol abuse has serious health downsizes, but moderate drinking can actually be good for your heart. Moderate alcohol use has a few other health benefits too. Let s see what these are.

Reduces risk of developing and dying from heart disease
Reduces your risk of ischemic stroke during which the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, causing reduction of blood flow to your brain
Reduces your risk of diabetes
The link between alcohol and health is tenuous at best and the health benefits of moderate drinking are by no means certain. Also every one may not benefit from alcohol. Moderate alcohol use - Guidelines
One drink a day is considered moderate for healthy women of any age and men older than 65, and up to two drinks a day for men younger than 65. This alcoholic drink can be:

Beer: 12 ounces
Wine: 5 ounces
Distilled spirits : 1.5 ounces
Moderate alcohol use can be counter-productive for you, if you have risk factors for heart disease. It s always better to take care to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat a heart-healthy diet to reduce your heart attack risks.

Risks of heavy alcohol use
We know about the definition of moderate drinking, but what s heavy drinking? It is defined as more than three drinks a day for women and men older than 65 (or more than seven drinks a week), and more than four drinks a day for men less than 65 (or more than 14 drinks a week).
Binge drinking is even worse. If you drink four or more drinks within two hours as a woman and five or more drinks within two hours as a man, it is referred to as binge drinking. Heavy drinking, including binge drinking, can increase your risk of serious health problems, like:

Cancer, including breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, throat and esophagus
Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas
Sudden death due to pre-existing cardiovascular disease
Alcoholic myopathy or damage to heart muscle, which causes heart failure
Stroke
High blood pressure
Liver disease
Brain damage in fetuses
It s best to ditch alcohol altogether. It is the healthiest thing you could ever do. The guidelines make it very clear that you shouldn t start drinking alcohol, albeit moderately, to make your heart healthy. The best way to have a healthy heart is to eat and exercise right. However, if you are an occasional drinker, you could make sure that your alcohol intake is within limits and you drink moderately at all times so that you don t attract any health penalties associated with heavy alcohol use.

You pass by that cake shop and happen to glance at a sumptuous chocolate cake, and then realization dawns on you that you are not allowed to eat simple sugar. Why? The answer to it is diabetes, for which you only have your pancreas to blame. Situated behind the stomach in your body, the pancreas is an organ whose role is to produce hormones and enzymes that aid in the digestive process. One of the hormones that the pancreas produces is insulin which is required by the body to metabolize sugar that is present in various foods.

So, if your pancreas does not produce the required amount of insulin or fails to utilize insulin effectively, it leads to accumulation of glucose in your blood. The improper functioning of the pancreas leads to diabetes. There are four types of diabetes and they are classified with respect to the manner in which the pancreas mal-functions:

Type 1 Diabetes: In this type, the immune system of the body wrongly attacks the insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas. This impairs the ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin, thus leading to Type 1 diabetes. However, even after extensive research in this field, the exact triggers haven t been found yet.
Type 2 Diabetes: Type 2 Diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin. It can either mean that the pancreas is producing less than normal insulin or the body is not being able to utilize the produced insulin effectively. Factors such as a poor diet and lack of exercise increase the risks of Type 2 Diabetes.
Pre-diabetes: Pre-diabetes is a condition wherein the blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered as diabetes . It can again occur due to a reduced secretion of insulin or the inability of the body to utilize the insulin effectively.
Gestational Diabetes: This type of diabetes can develop only during pregnancy. This occurs primarily as the placenta, that connects the fetus with the body s blood supply, produces hormones that impair the functioning of insulin. This type of diabetes can affect both the mother and the child.
Another common link
Pancreatitis is a condition that is marked by an inflammation of the pancreatic cells. This inflammation can damage the beta cells that produce insulin, thus resulting in diabetes. Factors that contribute to it are a poor diet, lack of exercise, presence of excessive calcium in the blood or excessive alcohol consumption.

How can you avoid the same?
It is best that you incorporate lifestyle changes if you have any of these disorders, and talk to your doctor about a treatment plan. Making a few simple lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, avoiding smoking and exercising on a regular basis can reduce the chances of you suffering from both diabetes and any other pancreatic problems.

The diagnosis as well as management of pancreatic cystic lesions is a general problem. Nearly 1% of the patients in the chief medical centers have been observed to have pancreatic cystic lesions on cross sectional imaging. It has also been observed that a quarter of all pancreas scanned in an autopsy series contain pancreatic cysts. Earlier, these cystic lesions were regarded benign but with increasing evidence made available from the cystic lesions, they are regarded as origin of pancreatic malignancies.


Information on asymptomatic neoplastic pancreatic cysts
The most vital medical tools that are used in the diagnosis and management of pancreatic cystic lesions include the endoscopic ultrasound and cross sectional imaging. These are used to distinguish non-mucinous cysts from mucinous cysts. The identification of pancreatic cysts creates a lot of anxiety for the clinicians as well as the patients related to the probable presence of a fatal tumor. The findings of a macro cystic lesion that enclose viscous fluid loaded in cea are helpful in the analysis of a mucinous lesion.


The most common pancreatic cysts are the non-neoplastic inflammatory pseudo cysts, and they can be detected easily by imaging. The identification of pancreatic irregularity with probable association with malignant cells is a vital source of referral for the specialist. The set of guidelines that have been proposed for the management and diagnosis of patients with asymptomatic neoplastic pancreatic cysts are based specifically on the analysis of the quality of the data. It is also designed to address the most important and frequent clinical scenarios. The diagnostic suggestions are provided based on the clinical problem as well as the risk of malignancy.


Imperative guidelines to follow
To achieve accurate diagnosis of asymptomatic neoplastic pancreatic cysts is indeed a great challenge. It is all the more important to find the reproducible methods that can be used to stratify threat of cancer for the patients. The main guidelines include a two year screening interval of cysts that can be of any size as well as stopping observation after 5 years, in case there is no change. The new guidelines, for the most part, recommend surgery if more than one concerning feature is confirmed on the mri by use of endoscopic ultrasound. The new guidelines even suggest discontinuation of inspection after the surgery if no dysplasia or invasive cancer is identified. The guidelines have mainly been developed by use of grading of recomendations assessment, development and evaluation.

Seborrheic dermatitis refers to a kind of chronic skin rash affecting the scalp or face of a person. It has symptoms similar to that of eczema. Excess oil and greasiness could lead to this condition. This is a commonly noticed condition among children and adults. Seborrheic dermatitis is characterized by red patches, persistent dandruff, and flaking skin. This kind of skin disorder needs immediate treatment as neglecting the upsetting signs can turn out to be fatal; you may face a neurological breakdown after suffering for days together.

Take a look at the causes of Seborrheic Dermatitis:

Inflammatory responses often result in reddish patches on the skin.
Malassezia could cause Seborrheic Dermatitis. Malassezia is a type of yeast present in the oil secretions of a human body.
Such a condition could be worsened by the predominant weather conditions. Extreme winters or early spring can make your skin peel off.
Symptoms a person may face:

The first and foremost symptom is red colored skin. The skin will appear as itchy and tender.
A stinging sensation is experienced in affected areas. The pain could be serious enough to prevent you from working or resting.
The eyelids of a person are at times under threat. This condition is more popularly known as blepharitis. The skin of your eyelids becomes red and crusted.
Dandruff can be found on your beard and moustache and even on your eyebrows.
Oily, flaky skin can be found on the scalp, ears, face, chest, armpits and also on the scrotum.
Skin disorders are taken lightly by most people. Many fail to realize how important skin is to the rest of our biological system. Skin is the primary barrier to all kinds of infections and diseases. A person should be aware of possibilities that can happen to trigger a skin condition like Seborrheic Dermatitis. Poking acne or scratching the skin of one's face, diabetes or obesity, psychological trauma, and weak immunity as noticed among patients of pancreatitis can actually increase your risk of contracting this disorder.

An inflammation of the pancreas is known as pancreatitis. The pancreas is an organ that produces digestive enzymes. Pancreatitis might start any day and continue for long period and it requires immediate medical attention. It is of two types- acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis. Although the treatment usually requires hospitalization, pancreatitis can be easily stabilized and the underlying cause can be treated thereafter.

CAUSES:

Pancreatitis may be caused due to various reasons:
1. Gall bladder stone: The pancreatic duct lies next to the bile duct. The gallstones enter the small intestine after passing through the common bile duct. Often the stones that remain in the common bile duct have a negative effect on the pancreas, which causes a hindrance to the normal flow of the pancreatic fluids, causing pancreatitis. Also a back flow of the bile into the pancreas can cause pancreatitis.
2. Alcohol: Long time alcohol use also causes pancreatitis. Alcohol can damage the pancreas tremendously causing it to get inflamed.
3. Other causes: Hereditary disorders in the pancreas, cystic fibrosis, high level of triglycerides, and a few medicines may also cause pancreatitis.

Symptoms:

1. The first symptom of pancreatitis is abdominal pain: The pain may be sudden or gradually increasing, but is usually aggravated after eating. It is severe and constant, and may continue for a few days. If you are suffering from pancreatitis, you will feel very sick after a sudden attack and you might require medical assistance immediately.
2. Swollen abdomen: Pancreatitis my cause your abdominal area to swell up and become tender.
3. Nausea: If your abdomen suddenly starts paining due to the onset of pancreatitis, you tend to feel extremely nauseous. You might end up vomiting and may also have violent heaves.
4. Fever: The inflammation will cause you to run a temperature, along with a searing pain in your stomach, which will make you feel extremely uncomfortable.
5. Rapid pulse: Pancreatitis affects the rate at which the heart beats, causing a rapid increase in the pulse rate.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), also called pancreatic deficiency, is a disorder where the pancreas is unable to produce the sufficient amount of enzymes that are required to digest food. The pancreatic enzymes help to break down and absorb nutrients from the food in the small intestine. So, this disease causes nutritional deficiencies.

Causes of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

This condition is generally caused as a complication of other diseases because EPI develops only as a result of severe damage to the pancreas. The following reasons can cause EPI:

1. Inflammation of the pancreas

After surgery in the pancreas, stomach or the intestines, there may be inflammation in the pancreas as a post-surgical complication. A high content of triglyceride fat in the blood can also cause pancreatic inflammation and hinder the secretion of the enzymes.

2. Chronic Pancreatitis

In this disease, the pancreatic ducts are swollen and blocked and so the digestive enzymes cannot be passed into the small intestine. This condition is often caused by a heavy consumption of alcohol.

3. Cystic Fibrosis

The digestive fluids and enzymes become thick and sticky and block the passageways of the pancreas and other organs like the lungs and the kidneys. This can obstruct secretion and passage of enzymes afterwards.

4. Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome

This is an autosomal recessive genetic condition where enzyme-producing pancreatic cells are not formed properly. This rare disorder causes a number of associated disorders like bone marrow diseases, skeletal defects and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

Symptoms of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

The symptoms appear in the middle stages of the disease when the process of absorption of nutrients has already been affected. The common warning signs are:

1. Digestive problems like gas, diarrhea and indigestion because the food remains mostly undigested.
2. Severe and frequent stomach pain in the lower abdominal region
3. Greasy stools due to the excretion of undigested fat
4. Rapid loss of weight and body mass due to mal-absorption of nutrients
5. Constantly feeling bloated and full even if you have not eaten anything
6. A general sense of fatigue and exhaustion
7. Excessive bleeding from small wounds because protein deficiencies hamper blood clotting
8. Pain in the muscles and bones
9. Increased susceptibility to infections of the body systems
10. Anemia
11. Joint pains
12. Abnormal swelling of the limbs or edema

You pass by the cake shop and happen to glance at a sumptuous chocolate cake, and then realization dawns on you that you are not allowed to eat simple sugar. Why? The answer to it is diabetes, for which you only have your pancreas to blame. Situated behind the stomach in your body, the pancreas is an organ whose role is to produce hormones and enzymes that aid in the digestive process. One of the hormones that the pancreas produces is insulin which is required by the body to metabolize sugar that is present in various foods.

So, if your pancreas does not produce the required amount of insulin or fails to utilize insulin effectively, it leads to accumulation of glucose in your blood. The improper functioning of the pancreas leads to diabetes. There are four types of diabetes and they are classified with respect to the manner in which the pancreas mal-functions:

Type 1 Diabetes: In this type, the immune system of the body wrongly attacks the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. This impairs the ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin, thus leading to Type 1 diabetes. However, even after extensive research in this field, the exact triggers haven t been found yet.
Type 2 Diabetes: Type 2 Diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin. It can either mean that the pancreas is producing less than normal insulin or the body is not being able to utilize the produced insulin effectively. Factors such as a poor diet and lack of exercise increase the risks of Type 2 Diabetes.
Pre-diabetes: Pre-diabetes is a condition wherein the blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered as diabetes . It can again occur due to a reduced secretion of insulin or the inability of the body to utilize the insulin effectively.
Gestational Diabetes: This type of diabetes can develop only during pregnancy. This occurs primarily as the placenta, that connects the fetus with the body s blood supply, produces hormones that impair the functioning of insulin. This type of diabetes can affect both the mother and the child.
Another common link-

Pancreatitis is a condition that is marked by an inflammation of the pancreatic cells. This inflammation can damage the beta cells that produce insulin, thus resulting in diabetes. Factors that contribute to it are a poor diet, lack of exercise, presence of excessive calcium in the blood or excessive alcohol consumption.

Further Complications-

Diabetes is also known to increase the risks of pancreatic cancer, especially if you have been suffering from this condition for more than 5 years. Pancreatic cancer and Type 2 diabetes share a few similar triggers such as a poor diet, obesity and lack of physical activity.

How can you avoid the same?

It is best that you incorporate lifestyle changes if you have any of these disorders, and talk to your doctor about a treatment plan. Making a few simple lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, avoiding smoking and exercising on a regular basis can reduce the chances of you suffering from both diabetes and any other pancreatic problems. If you wish to discuss on any specific problem, you can consult an endocrinologist and ask a free question.

An inflammation of the pancreas is known as pancreatitis. The pancreas is an organ that produces digestive enzymes. Pancreatitis might start any day and continue for long period and it requires immediate medical attention. It is of two types- acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis. Although the treatment usually requires hospitalization, pancreatitis can be easily stabilized and the underlying cause can be treated thereafter.

Causes:
Pancreatitis may be caused due to various reasons:



Gall bladder stone: The pancreatic duct lies next to the bile duct. The gallstones enter the small intestine after passing through the common bile duct. Often the stones that remain in the common bile duct have a negative effect on the pancreas, which causes a hindrance to the normal flow of the pancreatic fluids, causing pancreatitis. Also a back flow of the bile into the pancreas can cause pancreatitis.
Alcohol: Long time alcohol use also causes pancreatitis. Alcohol can damage the pancreas tremendously causing it to get inflamed.
Other causes: Hereditary disorders in the pancreas, cystic fibrosis, high level of triglycerides, and a few medicines may also cause pancreatitis.
Symptoms:

The first symptom of pancreatitis is abdominal pain: The pain may be sudden or gradually increasing, but is usually aggravated after eating. It is severe and constant, and may continue for a few days. If you are suffering from pancreatitis, you will feel very sick after a sudden attack and you might require medical assistance immediately.
Swollen abdomen: Pancreatitis may cause your abdominal area to swell up and become tender.
Nausea: If your abdomen suddenly starts paining due to the onset of pancreatitis, you tend to feel extremely nauseous. You might end up vomiting and may also have violent heaves.
Fever: The inflammation will cause you to run a temperature, along with a searing pain in your stomach, which will make you feel extremely uncomfortable.
Rapid pulse: Pancreatitis affects the rate, at which the heart beats, causing a rapid increase in the pulse rate.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency or EPI is also known as pancreatic deficiency, a disorder where the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient amount of enzymes that are required to digest food. The pancreatic enzymes help to break down and absorb nutrients from the food in the small intestine. So, this disease causes nutritional deficiencies.

Causes of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency :

This condition is generally caused as a complication of other diseases because EPI develops only as a result of severe damage to the pancreas. The following reasons can cause EPI:

Inflammation of the pancreas: After surgery in the pancreas, stomach or the intestines, there may be inflammation in the pancreas as a post-surgical complication. A high content of triglyceride fat in the blood can also cause pancreatic inflammation and hinder the secretion of the enzymes.
Chronic Pancreatitis: In this disease, the pancreatic ducts are swollen and blocked and so the digestive enzymes cannot be passed into the small intestine. This condition is often caused by a heavy consumption of alcohol.
Cystic Fibrosis: The digestive fluids and enzymes become thick and sticky and block the passageways of the pancreas and other organs like the lungs and the kidneys. This can obstruct secretion and passage of enzymes afterwards.
Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome or SBDS: SBDS is an autosomal recessive genetic condition where enzyme producing pancreatic cells is not formed properly. This rare disorder causes a number of associated disorders like bone marrow diseases, skeletal defects and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
Symptoms of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency:

Symptoms of EPI often appear in the middle stages of the disease when the process of absorption of nutrients has already been affected. The common warning signs are:

Digestive problems like gas, diarrhea and indigestion because the food remains mostly undigested.
Severe and frequent stomach pain in the lower abdominal region
Greasy stools due to the excretion of undigested fat
Rapid loss of weight and body mass due to malabsorption of nutrients
Constantly feeling bloated and full even if you have not eaten anything
A general sense of fatigue and exhaustion
Excessive bleeding from small wounds because protein deficiencies hamper blood clotting
Pain in the muscles and bones
Increased susceptibility to infections of the body system
Anemia
Joint pains
Abnormal swelling of the limbs or edema

An inflammation of the pancreas is known as pancreatitis. The pancreas is an organ that produces digestive enzymes. Pancreatitis might start any day and continue for long period and it requires immediate medical attention. It is of two types- acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis. Although the treatment usually requires hospitalization, pancreatitis can be easily stabilized and the underlying cause can be treated thereafter.

CAUSES:

Pancreatitis may be caused due to various reasons:
1. Gall bladder stone: The pancreatic duct lies next to the bile duct. The gallstones enter the small intestine after passing through the common bile duct. Often the stones that remain in the common bile duct have a negative effect on the pancreas, which causes a hindrance to the normal flow of the pancreatic fluids, causing pancreatitis. Also a back flow of the bile into the pancreas can cause pancreatitis.

2. Alcohol: Long time alcohol use also causes pancreatitis. Alcohol can damage the pancreas tremendously causing it to get inflamed.

3. Other causes: Hereditary disorders in the pancreas, cystic fibrosis, high level of triglycerides, and a few medicines may also cause pancreatitis.


Symptoms:

1. The first symptom of pancreatitis is abdominal pain: The pain may be sudden or gradually increasing, but is usually aggravated after eating. It is severe and constant, and may continue for a few days. If you are suffering from pancreatitis, you will feel very sick after a sudden attack and you might require medical assistance immediately.

2. Swollen abdomen: Pancreatitis my cause your abdominal area to swell up and become tender.

3. Nausea: If your abdomen suddenly starts paining due to the onset of pancreatitis, you tend to feel extremely nauseous. You might end up vomiting and may also have violent heaves.

4. Fever: The inflammation will cause you to run a temperature, along with a searing pain in your stomach, which will make you feel extremely uncomfortable.

5. Rapid pulse: Pancreatitis affects the rate at which the heart beats, causing a rapid increase in the pulse rate.