What is Pancreatitis
Your pancreas is a gland in your body that helps break down your food and keeps your blood sugar levels steady. When your pancreas gets inflamed or swollen, this is called Pancreatitis, and it can cause extreme pain in your belly and can cause serious issues with your health.
Pancreatitis can be:
- Acute – It happens suddenly and may only happen once.
- Chronic – It can keep coming back or last for a long time.
What causes Pancreatitis?
There are many reasons why your pancreas can get inflamed, but the most common causes are:
- Gallstones – these are hard stones that can block your pancreas.
- Too much alcohol – drinking too much alcohol can damage your pancreas.
Other causes can include:
- Side effects from certain medicines.
- Injuries to the pancreas.
- Too much fat in your blood.