Pancreatic Pseudocyst: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

There are various diseases of the pancreas that can occur. This disease can be caused by many things, from inflammation, gallstones, excessive alcohol consumption, to unhealthy eating patterns. Come on, get to know what types of pancreatic diseases need to be watched out for.

The pancreas is an organ that is responsible for producing digestive enzymes that play a role in the process of breaking down proteins, sugars and fats in food and drinks so that they are more easily absorbed by the body.

In addition, the pancreas also plays a role in producing insulin and glucagon hormones which act as regulators of blood sugar levels. When the pancreas is impaired, its function will be disrupted, resulting in various health problems.

Types of Diseases of the Pancreas and their Symptoms

Every disease of the pancreas is caused by different things and has its own symptoms. The following are some diseases of the pancreas that are important for you to know:

1. Diabetes

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are common forms of pancreatic disease. This disease occurs when the performance or production of the insulin hormone produced by the pancreas is disturbed.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune disorder when the body's immune system attacks healthy pancreatic cells, preventing the pancreas from producing insulin.

Meanwhile, type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to use insulin effectively. Over time, this makes it difficult or incapable of producing the pancreas insulin. Type 2 diabetes is thought to occur due to genetic factors and unhealthy diet or lifestyle.

In general, some of the symptoms experienced by diabetics are frequent urination at night, frequent thirst and hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, and wounds that are difficult to heal.

2. Acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a condition when the pancreas becomes inflamed suddenly. In most cases, acute pancreatitis is caused by gallstones and the consumption of large amounts of alcohol or a long period of time.

However, apart from these two causes, acute pancreatitis can also be caused by a viral infection, genetic disorder, or side effect of drugs.

The main symptom of acute pancreatitis is abdominal pain that appears suddenly. The pain can radiate to the chest or back and get worse when the sufferer coughs or takes deep breaths.

In addition to abdominal pain, acute pancreatitis can also cause symptoms of fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, swelling of the stomach, yellowing of the skin and eyes, and a racing heart or palpitations.

3. Chronic pancreatitis

Like acute pancreatitis, more cases of chronic pancreatitis are caused by the habit of consuming alcoholic beverages. In addition, this disease can also be caused by gallstones, autoimmune diseases, hyperparathyroidism, genetic disorders, hyperlipidemia, and side effects of drugs.

People with chronic pancreatitis can experience symptoms of pancreatitis for months or even years. The following are some of the symptoms of chronic pakreatitis that need to be watched out for:

• Abdominal pain that radiates to the back
• Frequent nausea and vomiting, especially after eating
• Decreased appetite
• Weight loss
• Greasy stools
• Yellow skin and eyes

In an advanced stage, chronic pancreatitis can make it difficult for the pancreas to produce insulin, leading to diabetes. If this is the case, the sufferer can experience diabetes symptoms such as feeling thirsty, tired easily, and urinating frequently.

4. Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a disease that occurs due to genetic disorders. This disease makes the mucus in the body thicker and stickier, so it can block a number of body channels. One of the organs that can be affected by cystic fibrosis is the pancreas.

Cystic fibrosis of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas can produce symptoms of oily and very smelly stools, severe diarrhea or constipation, and jaundice. This disease can also result in impaired absorption of nutrients, thus making sufferers experience weight loss due to malnutrition.

5. Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that is classified as rare. However, this disease of the pancreas has a high mortality rate.

There are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer, namely a family history of pancreatic cancer, smoking or alcohol consumption habits, to certain diseases such as cirrhosis, diabetes, and pancreatitis.

In its early stages, pancreatic cancer is often asymptomatic. However, as the disease of the pancreas develops, people with pancreatic cancer may experience the following symptoms:

• Yellow skin and eyes
• Stomach pain that radiates to the back
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss drastically for no apparent reason
• Fever
• Itching skin
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pale or whitish stools
• Dark urine color

6. Pancreatic insufficiency

Pancreatic insufficiency or exocrine pancreas insufficiency (EPI) occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce and release enough digestive enzymes for the body, leading to a condition of malnutrition.

There are various conditions that can cause EPI, namely pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, cysts or tumors in the pancreas, history of surgery on the pancreas, to genetic disorders and autoimmune disorders.

EPI can cause several symptoms, such as abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, weight loss, as well as oily and pale stools.

7. Pancreatic pseudocyst

Pancreatic pseudocyst (link to new article) is a disease of the pancreas that occurs after a person has pancreatitis. This disease is characterized by the formation of a fluid-filled sac in the pancreas. Apart from pancreatitis, this condition can also occur due to abdominal injury which causes the pancreas to become injured and swollen.

In general, the symptoms of pancreatic pseudocysts are nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, no appetite, weight loss, fever, lumps in the stomach, jaundice, and abdominal pain.

Some steps to treat diseases of the pancreas

There are many diseases of the pancreas and each of them has its own symptoms and causes. If you experience symptoms of disease in the pancreas, you should immediately consult a doctor.

To diagnose diseases of the pancreas and confirm the cause, the doctor can perform a physical examination and supporting examinations such as blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, X-rays, CT scans, to pancreatic endoxopy or ERCP.

After confirming the diagnosis of disease in the pancreas and determining the cause, the doctor will provide the appropriate treatment. The following are some steps for treating diseases of the pancreas:

Drug administration

To treat diabetes, doctors can give you anti-diabetic drugs and insulin injections. Meanwhile, to treat digestive disorders due to EPI and cystic fibrosis, doctors can provide digestive enzyme supplements. The doctor may also give antibiotics if there is an infection of the pancreas.

Meanwhile, to relieve pain and inflammation in the pancreas, the doctor can give painkillers, such as paracetamol.

Operation

Surgery is usually performed to treat diseases of the pancreas due to the formation of gallstones, tumors or cancer, and injury to the pancreas. To treat pancreatic cancer, surgery is generally followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Special diets and infusion therapy

When the function of the pancreas is impaired, your doctor may advise you to fast for a few days and stay in the hospital so that the doctor can administer infusion therapy.

In addition, you will also be advised to take a special diet, which is a diet low in fat, high in fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Whatever the cause, it is important to detect diseases of the pancreas early so that they can be treated as quickly as possible. This is important to do so that the pancreas can return to function properly.

Therefore, if you experience some symptoms of pancreatic disease, please see a doctor immediately for examination and treatment.

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