Meet Your Pancreas Part 2

You may not know it, but you may have a sick pancreas

This article is the 2nd of a 3 part series looking at the pancreas.
Part 1 deals with the Importance and Functions of your Pancreas Part 2 Features clues on how you can determine if your pancreas may be sick ( You're Already here! ) Part 3 discusses Ways you can Support your precious Pancreas.
Your pancreas, much like any other organ in your body also gets sick. Because of its location deep in the abdomen, pancreatic diseases like tumors (whether benign or cancerous) are difficult for you to visualize and feel. It's only after some time when the tumor is large enough that you can actually feel its presence. Pancreatic tumor(s) can also interfere with the function of other organs in your abdomen like the duodenum, gallbladder, stomach and liver. Pancreatic resiliency is another thing which hampers early diagnosis of pancreatic diseases. As much as 90% of its exocrine portion can be lost to disease, but still function normally to sustain a normal life. Comtemplative Thinking

Generally speaking, there are four major groups of diseases which can pester your pancreas. They are neoplasms (fancy term for tumors, benign or malignant), cysts, pancreatitis and congenital anomalies.

There are a few clues which you can be familiar with to detect the presence of a pancreatic problem. It's noteworthy to point out that these clues aren't exclusive for pancreatic problems, they can also be felt when nearby organs are sick. The most disappointing news about some of these symptoms is that by the time you're able to feel one or some of them, it may be too serious. When it comes to the pancreas, prevention is certainly the way to go.

1. Fatty stools.
Just to clarify, fatty stools don't mean your faeces are fat, large in diameter or even too difficult to pass because of their size) ok? We're not talking about girth here. It means your stools contain excessive amounts of undigested fats. The medical term for this is steatorrhea. Your stools float on the surface and will possess a much stronger unpleasant smell. Sometimes, the fatty stools will stick to the sides of the toilet bowl and are difficult to flush. The presence of all the undigested fats is responsible for this. As yet no one has determined the exact amount of fat which qualifies as excessive. The inability of your small intestine to efficiently absorb fat is called fat malabsorption.

In Part 1 of this series (click here for review), it was mentioned that the exocrine portion of the pancreas is responsible for secreting enzymes for fat digestion. Any pancreatic disease which significantly damages the exocrine portion can manifest as fatty stools. The resulting condition in your pancreas is called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. The most common causes of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency are cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis. Both conditions lead to the obstruction of ducts within the exocrine portion of the pancreas, meaning you're (digesting) pancreatic enzymes are not able to reach the food in your small intestine. (Remember, by the time you experience fat malabsorption and see fatty stools it could be that 90% of the exocrine portion is already destroyed). In addition, fat malabsorption will make your small intestine unable to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamin A, D, E, K). You need fat in order to absorb these vitamins. As a consequence, you can develop deficiencies of these nutrients.

Besides the already mentioned causes, fatty stools can also be caused by liver diseases, if your gallbladder was removed (cholecystectomy) or if you use hypolipidemic drugs (pharmaceutical medications which lower fat or lipids in your system)

2. Jaundice.
Jaundice or icterus is the yellowish discoloration of tissues like your skin. It can also be seen under the tongue and in the sclera (the white part) of your eyes. Jaundice can be easily observed in lighter skinned individuals, however visible signs can become a challenge among those with darker skin. In some forms of jaundice, the urine can also be dark colored similar to the beverage Coca-Cola. An example of a pancreatic cause of jaundice is malignancy or cancer, especially if the cancer is located in the head of the pancreas. The cancer in the head of the pancreas blocks the bile duct. The bile duct transports bile from the liver and gallbladder into the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). If it's blocked, bile accumulates in your system. In cancer, jaundice can also be accompanied by other symptoms like lower back pain, and clinically significant weight loss (see below what constitutes as clinically significant weight loss). Jaundice is a common sign of pancreatic cancer.
Non-pancreatic causes of jaundice include liver disease, common bile duct stones, certain medications and malignancy anywhere along the biliary tree (bile ducts) or within the liver itself.

3. Pale colored stools.
Oh! stools again? Relax, this is just a follow up on jaundice. If the pancreatic cancer blocks the bile duct, bile will not be excreted. Bile is responsible for the normal color of your stools (brown). If bile can't pass through to the intestines, the result is pale colored or clay colored stools.

4. Weight loss.
What is clinically significant weight loss? Clinically significant weight loss is traditionally identified as weight loss of 4.5kg (10lbs) or greater over a period of six to twelve months. The weight loss we're talking about here is unintentional or involuntary of course. This would mean that you didn't purposely aim to lose weight. You just lost it. Pancreatic causes of weight loss could mean cancer anywhere within the pancreas.

5. Abdominal pain.
Of all the possible clues, this may be the hardest one to qualify and quantify. Abdominal pain could mean almost anything. It could be related to any organ located within your abdomen. Clinically, there are two significant causes of abdominal pain when it comes to your pancreas. They are as follows:
Abdominal pain from Pancreatitis – Chronic pancreatitis is a condition wherein your pancreas experiences long standing inflammation. The inflammation can inhibit the ability of your pancreas to function normally. The long standing pain is located in the upper part of your abdomen and typically will spread to your back. The pain becomes worse usually after you eat a full meal. This is the time your pancreas releases the enzymes. Inflammation interferes with the release by narrowing or blocking the ducts thereby producing pain. Abdominal pain from chronic pancreatitis is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and the passage of fatty stools. Acute pancreatitis, on the other hand, presents with a sudden, boring pain in the upper abdomen and wraps around to the back. Leaning forward can sometimes alleviate this pain.

Abdominal pain from Pancreatic Cancer – Many people (around 80%) afflicted with pancreatic cancer will experience abdominal pain. The pain from pancreatic cancer can come and go. It's located in the upper abdomen and is dull (as opposed to sharp and intense) in character.
6. Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes.
When pancreatic disease destroys enough of the cells (called islets of Langerhans) responsible for producing insulin, you can experience diabetic signs and symptoms. This means that there's not enough insulin being produced (by the pancreas) thus leading to increased blood sugar levels. The following are the most common signs and symptoms.
- Numbness, pain, or tingling in the hands and feet
- Delayed wound healing whenever you cut yourself
- Easy fatigability
- Polydipsia – you feel thirsty most of the time
- Polyphagia – you still feel hungry in spite of eating, you want to eat more food
- Polyuria – you urinate often (frequent urination)
- Blurring of vision