Symptoms of Pancreatitis
Symptoms of acute and chronic pancreatitis are different. The symptoms also depend on the severity of the acute pancreatitis and its cause.
Acute Pancreatitis manifests as -
- Pain – over upper abdomen – this is sudden and severe
- Pain that can spread to the back
- Pain that gets worse with eating.
- Feeling of Nausea
- Vomiting
- Swelling of the upper abdomen
- Tenderness of the upper abdomen when it is examined
- Relief of pain sometimes by leaning forward and curling oneself like a ball
- Tachycardia or fast pulse rate.
- Jaundice rarely
A sudden onset, severe upper abdominal pain in a patient looking very unwell is a very highly suggestive of pancreatitis.
Occasionally, the patient may also have slight shortness of breath or painful breathing if the inflammation encroaches onto the lower part of the lung.
A bluish discoloration around the navel (Grey Turner’s sign) or over the flanks (Cullen’s sign) is very characteristic of pancreatitis and is caused by the hemorrhagic fluid that has oozed out of an inflamed pancreas and collected in these locations.
Chronic pancreatitis – its signs and symptoms include:
- Upper abdominal pain – a constant pain
- Indigestion
- Losing weight
- Oily, smelly stools or steatorrhea (as there is excess amount of undigested fat in the stools)
