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Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis

The pancreas help in synthesizing food with the help of digestive enzymes. Vital hormones such as insulin and glucagon are released by the pancreas into the bloodstream. When the pancreas are inflammed, a condition of pancreatis sets in. In a case of pancreatitis, the digestive enzymes end up attacking the pancreas itself. Milder cases of pancreatitis can be treated with dietary and lifestyle changes. Patients with pancreatitis notice dropping body weight inspite of normal appetite and eating habits. This is due to malabsorption as there are insufficient pancreatic enzymes to break down food. At this stage, it can also lead to diabetes since the insulin-producing cells are also damaged.

Acute Pancreatitis is a severe form of the disease that can lead to many a complication. This condition is usually the result of gallstones or too much alcohol. The pancreas help in synthesizing food with the help of digestive enzymes. The symptoms of acute pancreatis are nausea and vomiting, accompanied by a swollen abdomen that it tender to touch. The pain may also be noticed in the back and other areas. Sometimes it may lead to dehydration. Acute pancreatis is a life-threatening condition if ignored and untreated. It can trigger off breathing complications. It may lead to a kidney failure. Chronic pancreatitis also manifests in symptoms such as bloating and oily malodorous stools. Cases of chronic pancreatitis are usually attributed to excessive alcohol consumption. Other factors that can trigger acute pancreatitis are elevated levels of trigylcerides, bacterial or viral infections such as hepatitis or mumps and pancreatic cancer. Any structural abnormality of the pancreas or common bile duct can lead to pancreatitis.

A case of acute pancreatitis may need to be monitored and treated in a hospital. Surgical removal of pancreatic psudocysts may be necessary. Blood tests will reveal unusually high levels of amylase and lipase in patients suffering from acute pancreatitis. Abdominal ultrasound can reveal presence of gallstones and inflammation of the pancreas. Other diagnostic procedures to detect chronic pancreatitis are ERCP - endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and CAT scan.

Hyperlipoproteinemia

Too much of lipid and/or lipoproteins in the blood can lead to hyperlipoproteinemia. Hyperlipoproteinemia is also known as hyperlipemia or hyperlipidemia and is a metabolic disorder. This disease remains silent for years together; only when the person suffers any heart ailment does this condition come to light. Heredity and diet play a major role in the onset of this disease; hereditary blood fat disorders are the main cause for hyperlipoproteinemia.

Other common conditions that can cause this condition are diabetes, liver and kidney disease, hypothyroidism, alcohol and cigarette smoking. Few medications like progesterone, beta blockers, etc also increase the fat level in the bloodstream. If left unattended or untreated hyperlipoproteinemia can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. This condition is common in adults rather than in children and can occur both in men and women. Depending on the excessive chemical found in the blood stream, hyperlipoproteinemia can be classified into five types:

Type I – Elevation of triglycerides

Type II – Elevated cholesterol and in few cases elevated triglycerides

Type III – Elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels with subsequent vascular diseases

Type IV – Elevated triglycerides alone but no risk of vascular diseases

Type V – Similar to type I

No specific symptoms are shown for hyperlipoproteinemia. In very rare cases when the fat level in the blood shoots up too high, fat gets deposited in the form of bumps in the skin and tendons, this is referred to as xanthomas. In few cases, the liver and spleen enlarge when the triglycerides level shoot up too high. This leads to pancreatitis causing severe abdominal pain. The diagnosis of hyperlipoproteinemia can be made by measuring the triglycerides, total cholesterol, lipid profile, LDL and the HDL levels in the blood.

Patients should consume a healthy low-fat or fat-free diet. They should avoid saturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.
Monounsaturated fat like olive oil is recommended and is the healthiest option.
Medications are also prescribed to bring down the LDL, HDL levels and the cholesterol levels in the blood.
Doctors would advice the person to lose weight if obese.
Physical activity is also be recommended.
Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables should be consumed.
Food items like oatmeal, oat bran, rice bran, citrus fruits, rice bran, strawberries, apple pulp, beans and peas should be consumed.

AST blood test

An Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) blood test measures the amount of AST enzyme in the blood. AST or Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transminase (SGOT) is found in high concentrations in heart muscle, liver cells, skeletal muscle cells, pancreas and kidneys, in red blood cells and to a lesser degree in other tissues. Usually an AST blood test is done at the same time as ALT blood test. The ratio of AST blood levels to ALT blood levels helps to determine whether any organ particularly the liver has been damaged. AST blood test is primarily used to diagnose and monitor diseases of the liver such as hepatitis and cirrhosis. AST blood test helps to monitor recovery from or treatement for liver disease. Normal range for a AST blood test is 8 - 35 units per liter (U/L) or 5 - 40 international units per liter (IU/L). AST levels in the blood rise when there is tissue damage. Very high levels of AST in the blood indicate possible tumor, pancreatitis, cancer, cirrhosis, muscular dystrophy or heart failure.