Abdominal pain should always be taken seriously. Whether it stays in your abdomen or travels to your chest, it can indicate a medical emergency in many cases! A variety of different conditions cause abdominal pain, including pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is known to cause severe abdominal pain and can be very serious or even deadly if left untreated. If you are wondering what to be on the lookout for, check out AFC Urgent Care Greenwood’s latest blog all about pancreatitis below.

How Does Pancreatitis Start?

Everyone has a pancreas! It is an essential organ that helps us break down and digest our food. It also helps regulate blood sugar on a daily basis. The pancreas is also sensitive to the things we eat and drink. If it gets irritated somehow, it can become inflamed and fail to function normally.

This could be due to chronic alcohol abuse or a single period of heavy drinking, a chronically poor diet that is high in fat and the formation of gallstones. If you have a large gallstone, it could block the bile duct that connects the pancreas to the gallbladder, causing irritation.

Red Flags of Pancreatitis

• Severe upper abdominal pain
• Pain that radiates to your back
• Fever
• Tenderness when touching the abdomen

Will I Be OK If I Have Pancreatitis?

If you suspect you are suffering from pancreatitis, it is important to seek medical care immediately. Most cases require a hospital stay for evaluation and treatment, but in time, most people make a full recovery. In rare cases, you might end up with a serious infection, kidney failure or develop pancreatic cancer.

Once you overcome pancreatitis and are on the road to recovery, your care team will most likely discuss with you some lifestyle changes that can help reduce your risk of another flareup. These changes typically include cleaning up your diet, reducing your alcohol intake and exercising more.

Tips to Avoid Pancreatitis

• Reduce your alcohol intake.
• Quit smoking.
• Manage diabetes.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise.

Abdominal pain should always be taken seriously. Come see us at AFC Urgent Care Greenwood for an initial evaluation.