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NIDDK 75th Anniversary

 1. Home
 2. Health Information
 3. Digestive Diseases
 4. Pancreatitis
 5. Symptoms & Causes

Related Topics
English
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Pancreatitis
 * Definition & Facts
 * Symptoms & Causes
 * Diagnosis
 * Treatment
 * Eating, Diet, & Nutrition
 * Clinical Trials


SYMPTOMS & CAUSES OF PANCREATITIS


WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PANCREATITIS?

The main symptom of acute and chronic pancreatitis is

 * pain in your upper abdomen that may spread to your back

People with acute or chronic pancreatitis may feel the pain in different ways.


ACUTE PANCREATITIS

Acute pancreatitis usually starts with pain that

 * begins slowly or suddenly in your upper abdomen
 * sometimes spreads to your back
 * can be mild or severe
 * may last for several days

Other symptoms may include

 * fever
 * nausea and vomiting
 * fast heartbeat
 * swollen or tender abdomen

People with acute pancreatitis usually look and feel seriously ill and need to
see a doctor right away.

The main symptom of pancreatitis is pain in your upper abdomen that may spread
to your back.


CHRONIC PANCREATITIS

Most people with chronic pancreatitis

 * feel pain in the upper abdomen, although some people have no pain at all.

The pain may

 * spread to your back
 * become constant and severe
 * become worse after eating
 * go away as your condition gets worse

People with chronic pancreatitis may not have symptoms until they have
complications.

Other symptoms may include

 * diarrhea
 * nausea
 * greasy, foul-smelling stools
 * vomiting
 * weight loss


SEEK CARE RIGHT AWAY FOR PANCREATITIS

Seek care right away for the following symptoms of severe pancreatitis:

 * pain or tenderness in the abdomen that is severe or becomes worse
 * nausea and vomiting
 * fever or chills
 * fast heartbeat
 * shortness of breath
 * yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes, called jaundice

These symptoms may be a sign of

 * serious infection
 * inflammation
 * blockage of the pancreas, gallbladder, or a bile and pancreatic duct

Left untreated, these problems can be fatal.


WHAT CAUSES PANCREATITIS?

The most common causes of both acute and chronic pancreatitis are

 * gallstones
 * heavy alcohol use
 * genetic disorders of your pancreas
 * some medicines

Other causes include

 * infections, such as viruses or parasites NIH external link
 * injury to your abdomen
 * pancreatic cancer NIH external link
 * having a procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
   (ERCP) to treat another condition
 * pancreas divisum NIH external link


ACUTE PANCREATITIS

The most common cause of acute pancreatitis is having gallstones.

Gallstones cause inflammation of your pancreas as stones pass through and get
stuck in a bile or pancreatic duct. This condition is called gallstone
pancreatitis.


CHRONIC PANCREATITIS

The most common causes of chronic pancreatitis are

 * heavy alcohol use
 * genetic disorders of your pancreas

Other causes include

 * blockage in your pancreatic duct
 * high levels of blood fats, called lipids
 * high level of calcium in your blood

In many cases, doctors can’t find the cause of pancreatitis. This is called
idiopathic pancreatitis.

Last Reviewed November 2017
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Next: Diagnosis

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of
Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase
knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health
professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed
by NIDDK scientists and other experts.




The NIDDK would like to thank:
Christopher E. Forsmark, M.D., University of Florida College of Medicine








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