Pancreatic Disease Treatment in Chicago, IL

The pancreas is a part of the endocrine system, and is the gland that is responsible for regulating insulin and blood glucose levels. It is also responsible for the excretion of the enzymes necessary to digest food properly. Because of its role, disease of the pancreas is very serious, and requires medical attention as soon as possible.

Common Pancreatic Diseases

The pancreas plays an incredibly important role in managing the body’s digestive system. To test for pancreatic diseases, doctors will generally use blood tests to detect enzyme levels in the blood stream. Diagnostic imaging and biopsies are also possibilities. Generally, if there is a problem with the pancreas, it is one of the common conditions listed below.

Diabetes

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas fails to produce the amount of insulin necessary to digest food and manage blood sugars safely. This leads the body’s blood sugar levels start to rise, which is known as a medical condition called hyperglycemia. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include:

• Frequent urination
• Increased thirst and hunger
• Blurry vision
• Strong, fruity breath

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. It is generally identified by abdominal pain, indigestion, and fever. Pancreatitis can be categorized into one of three categories:

Hereditary Pancreatitis

Pancreatic disease is linked to genetics. Thus, it is important to stay up to date on your health if anyone in your family has pancreatic disease. It means that one will experience episodes of pancreatic inflammation. It can begin at any age.

Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a single occurrence (or multiple, infrequent occurrences) of an inflammation of the pancreas. This can be caused by trauma, drinking too much alcohol, medication, or another disease. Acute pancreatitis is still to be taken seriously, and can result in anything from general pain to death. It can also damage other organs. Getting the proper treatment immediately is very important.

Chronic Pancreatitis

Usually afflicting middle-aged men, chronic pancreatitis, understandably, has similar symptoms to acute pancreatitis. However, the attacks will happen more often, and last longer. Generally, this disease is caused by alcohol consumption. Over-consumption of alcohol can cause inflammation of the pancreas, resulting in possible permanent damage.

Pancreatitis is often treated by fluids and pain medication. If it severe enough, a patient may be admitted into an ICU to be monitored closely. Chronic pancreatitis has to be treated with nutrition therapy and possibly insulin.

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is divided into two distinct types; exocrine pancreatic cancer and endocrine pancreatic cancer

Each of these unique categorizations is associated with slightly different symptoms, risks, and are diagnostic processes. Exocrine tumors are more common than endocrine, but both present very urgent risks to patients.

Symptoms should be expected to vary based on the specific type of pancreatic cancer the patient encounters. Pancreatic cancer generally does not show symptoms in its early stages, which is why it is very important to be regularly screened. People with later-stages of pancreatic cancer may experience pain in the abdomen and lower-middle back, loss of appetite, brown urine, or jaundice.