20 signs your pancreas is functioning badly

This pear-shaped organ may be small—it weighs around 80 grams (three ounces)—but it is mighty when it comes to keeping us healthy. Located in the upper abdomen, the pancreas produces important digestive enzymes and secretes hormones that are vital for metabolizing sugar. No wonder so much can go wrong when your pancreas isn’t working the way it should.

Abdominal pain

Pain in your abdomen can be a sign of pancreatitis, an acute or chronic inflammation of the pancreas. When large tumours press against nearby organs, abdominal pain can also be a symptom of pancreatic cancer, which is characterized by abnormal cell growth in the pancreas.

Back pain

Pain in your back is also associated with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. In the case of the latter, the pain may worsen when lying down, or three to four hours after eating.

Fever

An unusually high body temperature can also be a symptom of pancreatitis, which occurs when pancreatic enzymes escape into the tissues of the pancreas, causing irritation, edema, and congestion of the blood vessels.

Nausea and vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are symptoms of both pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, which has been linked to smoking and obesity.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure can also be a sign of pancreatitis, which is most commonly caused by excessive alcohol intake, trauma, and gallstones blocking pancreatic ducts.

Cold and moist skin

Clammy skin and a low body temperature can be signs of severe pancreatitis, which occurs when the condition causes infection, bleeding, and formation of pus in the organ, as well as necrosis of pancreatic tissue.

Jaundice

Marked by a yellowing of the eyes and skin, dark-coloured urine and light-coloured or greasy stools, jaundice becomes a symptom of pancreatic cancer when a tumour blocks the bile duct.

Changes in your stool

Blockage of the bile duct caused by pancreatic cancer can cause stools to become pale or clay-coloured; give off an odd, strong smell; or become more buoyant owing to a higher fat content.

Itchy skin

Usually accompanied by symptoms like abdominal pain or jaundice, itchy skin can be a sign of pancreatic cancers, 95 per cent of which develop from the part of the pancreas that helps digest fats and proteins by secreting enzymes.

Diarrhea and constipation

Because it prevents the nutrients in food from being absorbed properly, pancreatic cancer can cause diarrhea and constipation, especially in patients taking pain medications.

Source: 20 signs your pancreas is functioning badly (msn.com)