- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
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- Dementia
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- Memory
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- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
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- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
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- Cervical Cancer Screening
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- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
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- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
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- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
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- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
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- Uterine Fibroids
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- Alcohol
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- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
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- Edema
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- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Pancreatic Diseases
Summary
The pancreas is a gland behind your stomach and in front of your spine. It produces juices that help break down food and hormones that help control blood sugar levels. Problems with the pancreas can lead to many health problems. These include:
- Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas: This happens when digestive enzymes start digesting the pancreas itself
- Pancreatic cancer
- Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder in which thick, sticky mucus can also block tubes in your pancreas
The pancreas also plays a role in diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body’s immune system has attacked them. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Encyclopedia
- Abdominal CT scan Medical Encyclopedia
- Abdominal MRI scan Medical Encyclopedia
- Abdominal tap Medical Encyclopedia
- Abdominal ultrasound Medical Encyclopedia
- Amylase – urine Medical Encyclopedia
- Fecal fat Medical Encyclopedia
- Glucagon blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- Insulinoma Medical Encyclopedia
- Lactate dehydrogenase test Medical Encyclopedia
- LDH isoenzyme blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- Macroamylasemia Medical Encyclopedia
- Pancreas divisum Medical Encyclopedia
- Pancreatic abscess Medical Encyclopedia
- Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram Medical Encyclopedia
- Secretin stimulation test Medical Encyclopedia
- Trypsin and chymotrypsin in stool Medical Encyclopedia
- Trypsinogen test Medical Encyclopedia
Patient Handouts
- Acute pancreatitis Medical Encyclopedia
- Amylase – blood Medical Encyclopedia
- Annular pancreas Medical Encyclopedia
- ERCP Medical Encyclopedia
- Lipase test Medical Encyclopedia
- Pancreatic pseudocyst Medical Encyclopedia
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
Diagnosis and Tests
- Amylase Test National Library of Medicine
- Chymotrypsin in Stool National Library of Medicine
- ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Isoenzymes Test National Library of Medicine
- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Test National Library of Medicine
- Lipase Test National Library of Medicine
- Stool Elastase National Library of Medicine
Find an Expert
- ASGE: Find a Doctor American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Find an Endocrinologist Endocrine Society
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pancreatic Diseases National Institutes of Health
Specifics
- Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Is Hyperinsulinemia a Form of Diabetes? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Pancreatic Cysts Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Living With
- Nutrition & Cookbook National Pancreas Foundation
Start Here
- Pancreas Disease National Pancreas Foundation
- Power of Your Pancreas: Keep Your Digestive Juices Flowing National Institutes of Health
Journal Articles
Genetics
- Shwachman-Diamond syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Reference Desk
- What Is the Pancreas? Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology