What fruits can you eat with pancreatitis?

Written by Li Xue Qing
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 22, 2024
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Patients with pancreatitis can eat some mild fruits, such as apples, bananas, peaches, kiwis, and strawberries. It is best to avoid more acidic fruits like oranges, lemons, and hawthorns. For cooler fruits, they can be soaked in warm water for a certain period before eating. Also, regardless of the type of food, fruit, or daily diet, it is important not to overeat.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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How to treat mild pancreatitis

Pancreatitis occurs due to the abnormal activation of pancreatic enzymes, leading to the self-digestion of the pancreas. The primary causes include alcohol, where excessive drinking can induce acute pancreatitis. Another cause is hyperlipidemia, as individuals with high blood lipid levels are prone to acute pancreatitis. Additionally, cholelithiasis, including stones in both the bile ducts and the gallbladder, can also trigger acute pancreatitis. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis manifest as severe pain in the upper abdomen, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, and fever. Acute pancreatitis is classified into mild, moderate, and severe categories. Mild cases mainly exhibit edema of the pancreas without bleeding, necrosis, or involvement of other organs. Treatment primarily involves fasting and fluid replacement, typically lasting for more than 48 hours or until abdominal pain ceases. Another aspect of treatment is inhibiting pancreatic enzyme secretion. Some patients with acute pancreatitis might also need antibiotics. Typically, mild acute pancreatitis can heal within one to two weeks of treatment.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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Causes of Pancreatitis

Common causes of pancreatitis in clinical settings include biliary tract diseases, alcohol consumption, overeating, and hyperlipidemia, among others, with biliary tract diseases being the most common. Pancreatitis is generally defined as inflammatory changes in the pancreas due to self-digestion caused by various reasons. Clinical manifestations include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and vomiting, etc. Therefore, for patients with upper abdominal pain, it is necessary to further complete some examinations, such as liver function, amylase, lipase, abdominal ultrasound, and even abdominal CT scans, to clarify the diagnosis, which is generally straightforward for pancreatitis. The treatment of pancreatitis, in addition to symptomatic treatment, requires etiological treatment, combining different causes of pancreatitis. For instance, if caused by hyperlipidemia, lipid-lowering treatment is generally needed; if biliary tract disease is considered, active treatment of the biliary disease is required.

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Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
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How to check for pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis can cause acute abdominal pain, along with symptoms of nausea and vomiting, and severe cases can lead to hypotensive shock. In laboratory tests, the diagnosis is generally made by assessing serum or urine amylase levels. An amylase level that exceeds three times the normal value can diagnose pancreatitis. Additionally, ultrasound and CT scans can reveal an enlarged or exuding pancreas, and the presence of a small amount of fat necrosis around the pancreas can be diagnosed as pancreatitis. The onset time of serum amylase in pancreatitis varies; typically, serum amylase begins to increase between 6 and 12 hours and starts to decline after 48 hours, and can be detected within 3 to 5 days. Lipase levels typically start to rise between 24 to 72 hours and remain elevated longer, up to 7 to 10 days. Thus, lipase has diagnostic value for later stages of pancreatitis and tends to have higher specificity compared to amylase.

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Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
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What medicine is used for pancreatitis?

In clinical practice, it is advised that patients with pancreatitis be hospitalized for treatment. The primary medications used during hospitalization mainly involve nutritional support, as patients with pancreatitis cannot eat and must refrain from ingesting food and water, necessitating the supplementation of water and electrolyte balance. Treatment primarily consists of using medications that reduce pancreatic secretion, such as choosing octreotide or similar drugs. Other drugs can be combined to inhibit pancreatic enzyme activity. However, while using these medications, it is important to consider using antibiotics to prevent infections in cases of pancreatitis. Overall, it is crucial to receive standardized treatment in a hospital for pancreatitis, as the condition can change rapidly and is relatively dangerous. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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Two major signs of severe pancreatitis

In patients with severe pancreatitis, physical examination may reveal abdominal distension with tympanic percussion sounds, prominent tenderness in the upper middle abdomen, and potentially widespread abdominal pain centered in the upper middle area. Some may exhibit rebound tenderness, moderate muscle tension is common, and a few cases may demonstrate shifting dullness. Occasionally, a mass in the upper middle abdomen can be palpated, possibly due to fluid in the lesser sac. Auscultation may reveal diminished or absent bowel sounds, accompanied by cessation of passing gas or stool, indicating features of paralytic ileus.