Acute pancreatitis is a serious condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed over a short period of time. The pancreas is a small organ located behind the stomach and below the ribcage.
Most people with acute pancreatitis improve within a week and experience no further problems, but severe cases can have serious complications and can even be fatal.
Acute pancreatitis is different to chronic pancreatitis, where the inflammation of the pancreas persists for many years.
The most common symptoms of acute pancreatitis include:
suddenly getting severe pain in the centre of your abdomen (tummy)
feeling or being sick
diarrhoea
Read more about the symptoms of acute pancreatitis and diagnosing acute pancreatitis.
The main symptom of acute pancreatitis is a severe, dull pain around the top of your stomach that develops suddenly.
This aching pain often gets steadily worse and can travel along your back or below your left shoulder blade. Eating or drinking may also make you feel worse very quickly, especially fatty foods.
Leaning forward or curling into a ball may help to relieve the pain, but lying flat on your back often increases the pain.
Acute pancreatitis caused by gallstones usually develops after eating a large meal. If the condition is caused by alcohol, the pain often develops 6 to 12 hours after drinking a significant amount of alcohol.
Other symptoms of acute pancreatitis can include:
nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting
diarrhoea
indigestion
a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above
jaundice – yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
tenderness or swelling of the abdomen (tummy)