Pancreatitis Center - Westfield, MA
Westfield Gastroenterologist Doctors for PancreatitisType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Westfield * Springfield Medical Associates  Springfield Medical Associates  Springfield Medical Associates  Hampden County Physician Associates LLC  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Noble Hospital  Medical Surgical Specialists of Westfield  Western Massachusetts GI Associates PC  Holyoke Specialty Surgeons  Western Massachusetts GI Associates PC  RiverBend Medical Group Chicopee Office  Baystate Gastroenterology  Baystate Gastroenterology  Diane DeBenedetto MD  RiverBend Medical Group  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Quaboag Gastroenterology  T K Thomas MD  Franklin Gastroenterology  John G Stagias MD  Veronica Deyeso MD  Surgical Specialists of Western New England PC  Surgical Specialists of Western New England PC  Central Berkshire Gastroenterology  Central Berkshire Gastroenterology  Timothy C Counihan MD  Central Berkshire Gastroenterology  Central Berkshire Gastroenterology  Berkshire Gastroenterology  Greylock Gastroenterology  A Tariq Malik MD  New England Gastroenterology Associates PC  New England Gastroenterology Associates PC  Elise A Jacques MD  Digestive & Liver Disease Group  Peter Tomaiolo MD  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Medical Center Weight Center  Associates in Gastroenterology PC  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  Associates in Gastroenterology PC  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Medical Center Gastroenterology  UMass Memorial Gastroenterology  Guenter L Spanknebel MD  Edmund J Taylor MD  G I Liver Group  UMass Memorial Medical Center Psychiatry  G I Liver Group  Fallon Clinic Gastroenterology  Fallon Clinic Gastroenterology  Fallon Clinic Gastroenterology  Fallon Clinic Gastroenterology  Fallon Clinic Gastroenterology  Naveen Pandaraboyina MD  Elliot J Feinberg MD  Milford Gastroenterology Associates Inc  Milford Gastroenterology Associates Inc  Milford Gastroenterology Associates Inc  Milford Gastroenterology Associates Inc  Milford Gastroenterology Associates Inc  T Edward Bynum MD  Richard Schwartz MD  Middlesex Gastroenterology  Greater Boston Gastroenterology  Greater Boston Gastroenterology  Greater Boston Gastroenterology  Greater Boston Gastroenterology  Greater Boston Gastroenterology  Greater Boston Gastroenterology  Middlesex Gastroenterology  Middlesex Gastroenterology  Van Ritter MD  Michael Pisick MD  Mark P Epstein MD  Andrea Fribush MD  Lawrence Handler MD  Gastroenterology Consultants of Greater Lowell  Gastroenterology Consultants of Greater Lowell  Gastroenterology Consultants of Greater Lowell  Gastroenterology Consultants of Greater Lowell  Digestive Health Specialists  Digestive Health Specialists  Digestive Health Specialists  Digestive Health Specialists  Digestive Health Specialists Westfield, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-06-03
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PancreatitisRead the Pancreatitis article » What is pancreatitis?Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and close to the duodenum - the first part of the small intestine. The pancreas secretes digestive juices, or enzymes, into the duodenum through a tube called the pancreatic duct. Pancreatic enzymes join with bile - a liquid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder - to digest food. The pancreas also releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. These hormones help the body regulate the glucose it takes from food for energy. Normally, digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas do not become active until they reach the small intestine. But when the pancreas is inflamed, the enzymes inside it attack and damage the tissues that produce them. Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. Either form is serious and can lead to complications. In severe cases, bleeding, infection, and permanent tissue damage may occur. Both forms of pancreatitis occur more often in men than women.
What are the causes of acute pancreatitis?Acute pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that occurs suddenly and usually resolves in a few days with treatment. Acute pancreatitis can be a life-threatening illness with severe complications. Each year, about 210,000 people in the United States are admitted to the hospital with acute pancreatitis.1 The most common cause of acute pancreatitis is the presence of gallstones - small, pebble-like substances made of hardened bile - that cause inflammation in the pancreas as they pass through the common bile duct. Chronic, heavy alcohol use is also a common cause. Acute pancreatitis can occur within hours or as long as 2 days after consuming alcohol. Other causes of acute pancreatitis include abdominal trauma, medications, infections, tumors, and genetic abnormalities of the pancreas. What...Recommended Reading Related to PancreatitisWhat is the pancreas?The pancreas is an organ approximately six inches long that is located in the abdomen behind the stomach. The pancreas is divided into three regions; the head, the body, and the tail. The head of the pancreas is located in the right abdomen adjacent to the duodenum, the tail is in the left abdomen, and the body lies between the head and the tail.
The pancreas makes several hormones that are released into the blood--including insulin to regulate blood glucose levels (see the Diabetes Mellitus article)-as well as digestive enzymes that aid in the digestion of food, for example, amylase. The digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas are combined in a bicarbonate-rich fluid also produced by the pancreas. The pancreatic duct within the pancreas collects the bicarbonate-rich fluid and digestive enzymes and drains them into the duodenum, the first part of... Other Related Pancreatitis ArticlesEmergency Contact for Westfield
Nearby Westfield Hospitals *Western Massachusetts Hospital Baystate Medical Center Mercy Medical Center Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital Shriners Hospital for Children Noble Hospital Providence Hospital Kindred Hospital Park View Holyoke Medical Center HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts Cooley Dickinson Hospital Northampton VA Medical Center Wing Memorial Hospital & Medical Center Johnson Memorial Hospital Rockville General Hospital St Francis Care Hospital Mount Sinai Campus The Hospital at Hebrew Healthcare Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital St Francis Hospital & Medical Center Manchester Memorial Hospital Baystate Mary Lane Hospital Hungerford Emergency & Medical Care Connecticut Children's Medical Center Hartford Hospital Institute of Living Hartford Hospital University of Connecticut Health Center John Dempsey VA Connecticut Healthcare System Newington Campus Cedarcrest Hospital Hospital for Special Care The Hospital of Central Connecticut New Britain Campus Veterans Home & Hospital Rocky Hill Harrington Memorial Hospital Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Bristol Hospital Franklin Medical Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Pancreatitis by Our Doctors
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Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2)
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The Digestive System
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Pancreatic Cysts
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Stool Color & Texture Changes (Black, Red, Maroon, Green, Yellow, Gray, Tarry, Sticky)
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