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Medical Author:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Acute Pancreatitis Symptoms

The most common symptom of acute pancreatitis is pain. Almost everybody with acute pancreatitis experiences pain.

• The pain may come on suddenly or build up gradually. If the pain begins suddenly, it is typically very severe. If the pain builds up gradually, it starts out mild but may become severe.
  
  
• The pain is usually centered in the upper middle or upper left part of the belly (abdomen). The pain is often described as if it radiates from the front of the abdomen through to the back.
  
  
• The pain often begins or worsens after eating.
  
  
• The pain typically lasts a few days.
  
  
• The pain may feel worse when a person lies flat on his or her back.

People with acute pancreatitis usually feel very sick. Besides pain, people may have other symptoms and signs.

• Nausea (Some people do vomit, but vomiting does not relieve the symptoms.)
  
  
• Fever, chills, or both
  
  
• Swollen abdomen which is tender to the touch
  
  
• Rapid heartbeat (A rapid heartbeat may be due to the pain and fever, dehydration from vomiting and not eating, or it may be a compensation mechanism if a person is bleeding internally.)

In very severe cases with infection or bleeding, a person may become dehydrated and have low blood pressure, in addition to the following symptoms:

• Weakness or feeling tired (fatigue)
  
  
• Feeling lightheaded or faint
  
  
• Lethargy
  
  
• Irritability
  
  
• Confusion or difficulty concentrating
  
  
• Headache

If the blood pressure becomes extremely low, the organs of the body do not get enough blood to carry out their normal functions. This very dangerous condition is called circulatory shock and is referred to simply as shock.

Chronic Pancreatitis Symptoms

Pain is less common in chronic pancreatitis than in acute pancreatitis.

Some people have pain, but many people do not experience pain. For those people who do have pain, the pain is usually constant and may be disabling; however, the pain often goes away as the condition worsens. This lack of pain is a bad sign because it probably means that the pancreas has stopped working.

Other symptoms of chronic pancreatitis are related to long-term complications, such as the following:

• Inability to produce insulin (diabetes)
  
  
• Inability to digest food (weight loss and nutritional deficiencies)
  
  
• Bleeding (low blood count, or anemia)
  
  
• Liver problems (jaundice)

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