Chronic Pancreatitis Signs and Symptoms

These are signs and symptoms of Chronic pancreatitis: Ongoing damage to your pancreas can lead to a chronic condition that destroys the pancreas and nearby tissues, although it may be years before signs and symptoms appear. A few people with chronic pancreatitis never experience discomfort, but most have intermittent bouts of abdominal pain that can be severe. The pain may last anywhere from a few hours to weeks or even years. Drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, or eating often makes symptoms worse.

This statement is taken straight from the John Hopkins Medical University Digestive Diseases site on Chronic Pancreatitis: "Biochemical Measurements of amylase, lipase, trypsin, and elastase levels may be low, normal, or elevated in patients with chronic pancreatitis. In early or mildcases of chronic pancreatitis, it is difficult to make a definitive diagnosis based on serum enzyme levels alone."

In addition to pain, chronic pancreatitis can cause:

1. Nausea;
2. Vomiting;
3. Fever;
4. Bloating and gas;
5. Weight loss, even when your appetite and eating habits are normal;
6. Steatorrhea: Oily, malodorous stools resulting from poor digestion and malabsorption of nutrients, particularly fats;
7. Diabetes;
8. Sometimes, jaundice.
   

To view information on another disease, click on Digestive Diseases Library, or continue on here to learn more about pancreatitis!

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