Doctors use an abdominal ultrasound to diagnose pancreatitis, which shows whether or not the pancreas is inflamed. This method is preferred because it can detect gallstones or alcoholic fatty liver, and is relatively non-invasive, east to perform and inexpensive.

Pancreatitis presents in different levels of severity, from an acute pancreatitis that comes on quickly and can last a few days, to a more chronic version that affects the patient for months or even years. For the most part, chronic abuse of alcohol is one of the most common causes of pancreatitis. This ailment is normally seen in long-term alcoholics, those who have been heavy drinkers for five years or more. Because it can be mixed with other symptoms, pancreatitis in these patients is most often severe by the time the patient first sees a doctor. Pancreatitis is often caused by gallstones as well, and along with alcoholism these two causes can be traced to 80 percent of cases.

The cause is not always so simple to determine, however. Many women develop pancreatitis during pregnancy, the result of an increase in blood triglycerides. It can also arise as the result of a trauma or be acquired as the result of another disease, like mumps or an autoimmune disease. Hypothermia and steroid are recognized as other causes of pancreatitis. Doctors have also recognized several infections as causing pancreatitis. These include viruses like Hepatitis B and herpes simplex virus, bacteria like Legionella and Salmonella. Even certain types of fungus or parasites can cause pancreatitis.

The course of treatment for pancreatitis depends on both the underlying cause and the severity. Medication, usually morphine, is given to ease the pain associated with the condition, and the patient is placed on a restrictive diet that limits fat intake. Patients are also given fluids, sometimes intravenously. After these general treatments, doctors often take more specific actions to attack the underlying causes. Gallstones are located and removed, and patients with infections are treated with antibiotics.

People suffering from this painful condition should change their eating habits so that they consume six to seven small meals a day. You should avoid large meals by spreading the smaller meals out throughout the day. Consuming smaller amounts of food eases symptoms as it limits the pressure that is placed on the pancreas at any given time.

Caffeine and alcohol should be avoided completely or consumed only in moderation. People who smoke should give up tobacco habits completely. Fried foods and any food that is heavily processed should be avoided. All foods should be consumed in a healthy manner, with meats being grilled or baked rather than fried.

Pancreatitis is aggravated by inflammatory products. Carbs, sugar, processed food and alcohol are all foods that will cause inflammation and aggravate the pancreas. People suffering from this condition should make whole foods that staple of their diet.

When following a low-carb diet to ease the misery of pancreatitis, you should remember that you can still have some carbohydrates. Avoiding carbs completely can lead to other, potentially serious medical conditions. You can consume carbohydrates by focusing on healthy vegetables while pasta, sugar and other unhealthy foods.

Meat has been shown to help ease the pain of pancreatitis. Meat should be consumed at every meal along with other protein sources like milk, eggs, cheese, fish and beans. Meals should also be served at a comfortable temperature; they should not be overly cold or piping hot.

It’s also important to avoid fat, so you should look for lean cuts of meat. Avoid cooking with large amount of butter or other fats. Mayonnaise can be replaced with mustard or other seasonings. Healthy snacks can be consumed throughout the day. Choose foods like apples, yogurt, pears, cottage cheese, bananas and applesauce.

Taking the time to learn about and follow a pancreatitis diet will help you avoid painful flare-ups. Suggestions for meal plans can easily be found by looking through various resources on low-carb diets. Look for meal choices that use healthy cooking methods and will help you avoid the pain of attacks.

Acute pancreatitis arises without warning, and the pain and other symptoms can last for up to several days. The pain is normally experienced in the upper abdominal area, sometimes radiating to the back. Most of the time the pain is worse after eating a meal. Some may experience nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms include, but are not limited to, fever, swelling and tenderness in the abdomen, and a rapid heartbeat.

Normally, during digestion, enzymes move through the ducts in the pancreas, entering into the small intestine where those enzymes mix with the digestive enzymes and become activated. A type of malfunction occurs in some people where the enzymes become activated before leaving the pancreas or before reaching the small intestine. While in the pancreas, these enzymes begin to eat away at the cells in the pancreas causing it to becomes irritated and inflamed. After a time, damage can occur to the pancreas, which may lead to chronic pancreatitis.

There are a number of causes of acute pancreatitis. The most common causes are from gallstones and the continued, heavy use of alcohol. Some of the other causes of are family history, cigarette smoking, taking certain medications, high calcium levels in the blood and high triglyceride levels. Serious, life-threatening complications can eventually occur from the disease, such as diabetes, infection, kidney failure, malnutrition and pancreatic cancer.

Unlike mild pancreatitis, which may go away without treatment, having pancreatitis that is acute may require hospitalization. The underlying causes for the disease are treated, which should stabilize your condition. While in the hospital your doctor may, at first, have you fast for several days, then allow you to start drinking clear liquids and eating bland foods. Since pancreatitis is extremely painful, you may be given medications that will help to control the pain to make you more comfortable.

If you are experiencing sudden, severe pain or repeated bouts of pain and/or are having some of the other symptoms related above, you should make arrangements to see your doctor. Seeking immediate medical attention is advisable if you are in so much severe pain that you can’t sit, stand or find any position in which you are comfortable.

What Is This Condition?
Pancreatitis in dogs is a condition that involves an inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ that many people are not familiar with, but it has the important functions of producing enzymes needed to digest food and producing hormones that help the body take in proteins and natural sugars from food to use for nutrients and energy. When the pancreas is inflamed, these important enzymes leak and the pancreas actually begins to break down. Depending on the cause and the severity of the case, this process can be slow and gradual or it may develop quickly and become life-threatening almost immediately.

What Causes It?
Understanding what causes the pancreas to become inflamed can help you to prevent this serious condition from developing. However, in some cases, the condition will develop even when the best preventive measures are taken by the pet owner. Obesity and a high fat diet can contribute to the development of pancreatitis in dogs, and so keeping a dog on a healthy, low fat diet may decrease the likelihood of this illness. Even a single high fat meal can inflame the lining in the pancreas, and so care should be taken to keep a dog away from “people food,” including keeping a dog out of a trash can or from accessing human food on table tops and counters. Insecticides may also cause the lining of the pancreas to become inflamed, and so care should be taken to keep dogs away from places where insecticides have recently been sprayed. Other factors that may cause it include antibiotics, and infection, and certain underlying health conditions.

When to Call the Vet
Many pet owners may notice that their pet just doesn’t seem “right” at the earliest onset of this condition. Their pet may have a sore tummy, and so the dog may walk gently or hunched over. A dog with this condition may appear to be fatigued or depressed, and may not run and play. The animal may stop eating or drinking, and may even vomit or have diarrhea. Some may feel hot with fever and others may feel cold to the touch. For some dogs, the symptoms will come on gradually, but others may turn seriously ill and lethargic within a very short period of time. Pet owners who notice any of these symptoms should contact their vet for a consultation, as this condition can be treated successfully when caught early.

Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is more serious and caused by long-term health effects. These include severe alcoholism, high triglycerides and cystic fibrosis. This illness can cause a painful loss of gland function. This leads blood sugar abnormalities and sepsis.

Much like the causes, pancreatitis symptoms depend on which form of the illness the patient has. The basic symptoms of acute pancreatitis are a swollen and tender abdomen, vomiting, a fever, an increased heart rate and nausea. There is also upper abdominal and back pain which is felt while eating. In general, pain is the biggest symptom to alert a patient that their condition is not just a stomach flu. The pain will build up gradually if it is a mild case of pancreatitis. If it is an extreme case, the pain will be felt immediately. It will last a few days and will feel worse when the patient is lying on their back.

When it comes to chronic pancreatitis symptoms, the details are not much different. The same back pain will be worse and may inhibit a patient’s walking abilities. Jaundice and dehydration are two clear signs of low pancreas function. Due to enzyme malfunction, diabetes, unexplainable weight loss and other metabolic problems will arise.

It is imperative for a patient to seek urgent medical care. An inability to eat or drink water due to nausea should always be taken as a dire warning. Difficulty breathing and unexplained pain are typically what sends pancreatitis patients to the emergency room. If a patient experiencing pancreatitis symptoms is diagnosed by a doctor as soon as possible, their chances of making a full recovery are higher.