What are the symptoms of pancreatic discomfort

The pancreas is an inconspicuous organ in our body, but its function is very important. It is generally responsible for digesting some proteins, fats and sugars. Due to the special location of the pancreas, in many cases, when there are problems with the pancreas, it is easy to be treated as a stomach problem, which often makes it easy to miss the best time for treatment. When there are problems with the pancreas, the symptoms are also more obvious.

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis

1. Abdominal pain

It is the main clinical symptom, with severe abdominal pain. It starts in the middle and upper abdomen, but may also be biased towards the right or left upper abdomen, radiating to the back. If the entire pancreas is involved, it will be belt-like pain radiating to the waist and back. Alcohol-induced pancreatitis often develops within 12-48 hours after intoxication and causes abdominal pain. Biliary pancreatitis often causes abdominal pain after a large meal.

2. Nausea and vomiting

Often accompanied by abdominal pain: vomiting is severe and frequent. The vomitus is the contents of the stomach and duodenum, occasionally accompanied by coffee-like contents.

3. Abdominal bloating:

In the early stage, it is reflex intestinal paralysis, and in severe cases, it may be caused by stimulation of retroperitoneal cellulitis. The upper small intestine adjacent to the pancreas and transverse colon are paralyzed and dilated. Abdominal distension mainly in the upper abdomen. Abdominal distension is more obvious when there is fluid in the abdominal cavity: the patient stops defecating and passing gas. Bowel sounds weaken or disappear.

4. Signs of peritonitis:

?In edematous pancreatitis, tenderness is limited to the upper abdomen, and there is often no obvious muscle tension. Hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis causes obvious tenderness, as well as muscle tension and rebound pain. The area is wide or extends to the entire abdomen.

5. Other symptoms:

In the early stage, the fever is often moderate, about 38°C. Patients with cholangitis may experience chills and high fever. When pancreatic necrosis is accompanied by infection, high fever is one of the main symptoms. Jaundice may occur in biliary pancreatitis. Or it may be caused by compression of the common bile duct by the edematous head of the pancreas.

Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis

1. Mainly there is persistent dull pain or pain in the middle or left side of the upper abdomen. The pain is severe during an attack and worsens at night. The pain can radiate to the waist, back or left shoulder.

2. Chronic pancreatitis can form pancreatic masses that resemble pancreatic cancer. Deep pancreatic tumors compress the pancreatic duct and cause chronic inflammation of the surrounding pancreatic tissue. When a biopsy of the pancreatic surface tissue is taken, it is often misdiagnosed as chronic pancreatitis. The diagnosis can be made by puncture and taking deep tissue biopsy during surgical exploration or by ERCP before surgery.