Abdominal Pain by Pancreatitis (chronic)

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas that lies horizontally behind the stomach. Pancreas produces variety of enzymes that helps processing (digesting) foods, and is essential for the digestion of fats.

If the pancreatitis or acute pancreatitis doesn’t heal and is recurrent over the time, it may become chronic medical condition, chronic pancreatitis, with permanent damage. People with alcoholism, smoking, malnutrition, gallstone, are at risk of chronic pancreatitis. It occurs more in men. Diabetes may be the complication of chronic pancreatitis due to the lack of insulin production.

Symptoms include the persistent abdominal pain (worsen when taking foods), steatorrhea with oily or fatty stools (due to pancreas fail to digest them), clay-colored or pale stools, jaundice, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss.

If you have above symptoms, please go to see your doctor for diagnosis and treatments.