Pancreatitis, acute
As acute pancreatitis is often caused by gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption, a healthy lifestyle can reduce your chances of developing the condition.
The most effective wayof preventinggallstones is eating a healthy, balanceddiet that includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day).
Your diet should also include wholegrains, found in wholemeal bread, oats and brown rice. This helps lower the amount of cholesterol in your body.
There is also evidence that regularly eating nuts, such as peanuts or cashews, can help reduce your risk of developing gallstones.
Because of the role cholesterol appears to play in the formation of gallstones, it's advisable to avoid eating too many fatty foods with a high cholesterol content.
Foods high in cholesterol include:
Being overweight also increases your chances of developing gallstones, so maintaining a healthyweight by eating abalanced diet and taking plenty of regular exercise can alsohelp reduce your risk of developingthe condition.
See exercise,healthy eating and losing weightfor more information and advice.
Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink can help prevent your pancreas being damaged, andreduce your risk of developing acute pancreatitis. It can also lower your chances of developing other serious conditions, such as liver cancer.
A unit of alcohol is equal to about half a pint of normal-strength lager or a pub measure (25ml) of spirits. A small glass of wine or an alcopopis 1.5 units.
Read the pages ondrinking and alcoholfor more information and advice.
Acute pancreatitis is a serious condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed over a short period of time.
The main symptom of acute pancreatitis is a severe, dull pain around the top of your stomach that develops suddenly.
Most cases of acute pancreatitis are closely linked to gallstones and alcohol consumption, although the exact cause is not always clear.
Due to the risk of serious complications, most cases of acute pancreatitis are diagnosed in hospital.
There's no specific treatment for acute pancreatitis, but for most people the condition gets better on its own within a week.
Although most people with acute pancreatitis recover without experiencing further problems, severe cases can have serious complications.
As acute pancreatitis is often caused by gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption, a healthy lifestyle can reduce your chances of developing the condition.