TV millionaire Carmen Geiss (59) is in hospital due to inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) in a hospital.
BILD explains what exactly is behind it, what the triggers are and how the disease is treated.
What is pancreatitis?
Gastroenterologists speak of a Pancreatitiswhen the pancreas is inflamed. A sudden inflammation can lead to a life-threatening condition. Patients often have to be treated in the intensive care unit if the disease is severe. People between the ages of 40 and 60 are particularly affected by pancreatitis. Women are more likely to develop the disease than men.
What are the triggers?
The reasons are not yet fully known. But it is known that heavy alcohol consumption in particular can damage the pancreas and trigger acute inflammation. Chronic pancreatitis often develops as part of alcohol addiction. This leads to the destruction of important gland cells.
Alcoholism is responsible for around 80 percent of chronic pancreatitis. But gallstones can also be responsible for inflammation.
What are the symptoms?
Affected patients experience severe pain in the middle upper abdomen, which radiates like a ring into the back. The symptoms subside as the disease progresses.
Side effects are Diabetes, Fatty stools and weight loss and possibly excessive bowel movements.
What does the treatment look like?
The most important thing is to immediately and completely stop drinking alcohol and tobacco. Because of the severe pain, good and adequate pain therapy is required, as are antispasmodics. Patients also receive infusions that are often enriched with electrolytes. In severe cases, antibiotics are also given to prevent bacterial infection of the pancreas.
In cases of severe acute pancreatitis, the dead pancreatic tissue may need to be surgically removed to prevent sepsis.