The pancreas is a gland within the human body that is involved in hormone production and digestion. Abnormal, unregulated cell growth within the pancreas can lead to the development of pancreatic cancer. In the United States, pancreatic cancer is...
Pancreatitis, a condition causing inflammation of the pancreas, can come on suddenly and without warning. Your stomach may become swollen and tender. It is common to experience nausea and vomiting. It is also likely that you will run a fever, a...
Gallstones are small, hard substances that develop in the gallbladder when liquids in the gallbladder hardens into stone-like materials. Bile, the liquid, is stored in the gallbladder and functions to aid in digestion. The size of gallstones can...
Xenical, generically sold as orlistat, is a medication used to treat obesity. According to Drugs.com, it blocks fat from being absorbed by your body. Tell your doctor whether you have a history of gallstones, pancreatitis or liver disease because...
Ethyl alcohol is the type of alcohol that manufacturers turn into alcoholic beverages, and it is a common substance of abuse. Alcohol is one of the most widely abused drugs because, according to Drugs.com, it creates feelings of relaxation,...
Pancreatic carcinoma is characterized by abnormal and unregulated cell growth within the pancreas. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that approximately 42,470 people in the United States were diagnosed with pancreatic carcinoma in 2009....
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, occurs when glucose levels are below normal levels. The body transforms glucose into fuel using insulin, a hormone created by the pancreas. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include hunger, shakiness, dizziness and...
Cystic fibrosis, or CF, is an inherited genetic condition common in people of Northern European and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. CF causes a person to have thicker secretions than average, primarily affecting the lungs, pancreas and gastrointestinal...
Aczone (dapsone) is a medication used to treat acne, skin infections and leprosy, a crippling condition in which you develop unusual sores and nerve damage. According to Drugs.com, Aczone is an anti-infective medication that fights various...
Polycystic Kidney Disease, or PKD, is a genetic disorder that comes in various forms depending on the genes affected. Most cases affect adults with symptoms beginning in the third or fourth decade of life. The underlying problem is the development...
Iron causes no harm in drinking water for most people and actually benefits by supplying around 5 percent of your daily iron requirements, the Illinois Department of Public Health reports. Iron carries oxygen throughout your body and also helps...
Calcium plays an important role in the normal functioning of all cells, tissues and organ systems. Having an excess amount of calcium in the blood is called hypercalcemia. Dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D, sunlight exposure, age and...
Pancreatitis is a condition characterized by inflammation in the pancreatic tissue. There are two types of pancreatitis: acute and chronic. Acute cases of pancreatitis pass on their own, without extreme medical intervention. Chronic pancreatitis...
Lightheadedness is a type of dizziness that occurs when a proper amount of blood is not being delivered to the brain. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body tissues, so when blood does not reach the brain, the brain tissues also do not receive...
Janumet is a medication used to manage type 2 diabetes, a condition in which your body is non-insulin dependent (your body does not respond to the insulin hormone that regulates your blood sugars). According to Drugs.com, Janumet is a combination...
Reactive hypoglycemia is not associated with diabetes, but rather with hormonal imbalances, and occurs most often in younger obese women. The South Beach Diet is an appropriate diet if you have reactive hypoglycemia, because it limits sugars and...
Zetia, generic name ezetimibe, is currently a controversial medication used to treat high cholesterol. The FDA recently performed a study to determine if there is an increased cancer risk associated with another cholesterol medication Vytorin,...
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body. Although the bones contain 99 percent of the calcium, the remaining 1 percent in the blood must remain within a very narrow concentration range to support vital physiological functions. In...
An inflamed pancreas is the primary symptom of a serious medical condition called pancreatitis. According to the Mayo Clinic, pancreatitis is inflammation created when the pancreas secretes enzymes, sodium bicarbonate, and a combination of...
Unfortunately, there are few early warning signs of pancreatic cancer. By the time most people realize that they may have a health condition, the tumor has often spread, leaving a grim prognosis. Learning to recognize the early warning signs of...
The pancreas is a small organ located between the stomach and spine that has endocrine and exocrine functions. The endocrine pancreas cells produce and secrete insulin into the blood to regulate sugar metabolism. The exocrine pancreas cells...
Hypoglycemia is a medical condition characterized by low levels of glucose in the bloodstream, according to Dr. James F. Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing." It is typically caused by excessive production of insulin, a chemical...
Type 2 diabetes in children and teenagers is becoming more common, according to the Nemours Foundation, possibly due to increasing rates of childhood obesity. In teens with type 2 diabetes, the body produces sufficient levels of insulin hormone,...
Your pancreas synthesizes and releases a number of hormones into your bloodstream to help regulate a number of physiological processes. Among these hormones is insulin, a compound that helps to regulate your blood sugar and prevent hyperglycemia,...
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. Digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas into the intestinal tract can attack and damage the inside of the pancreas. Both acute and chronic pancreatitis require medical treatment and diet therapy....
The pancreas is a vital organ that produces the digestive hormones insulin and glucagon and other enzymes necessary to digest food. Symptoms such as sweating and weight loss can accompany a number of diseases and conditions that affect the...
The pancreas, which is located behind the stomach, produces pancreatic juices and hormones including insulin. The substances produced by this organ aid in digestion. When the pancreas is not functioning properly, various health problems can occur....
The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system that produces insulin and enzymes that aid digestion. Digestive enzymes travel from the pancreas directly into the intestines to help break down the foods you eat. The pancreas secretes insulin in...
Iron is responsible for helping to transport oxygen in the blood, cell growth and differentiation as well as a number of other biochemical reactions. As the case with all vitamins and minerals, too much or too little iron can create severe health...
Pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition that occurs when pancreatic digestive enzymes become active within the gland and attack the pancreas itself. Learn about the different causes of, symptoms of, and treatments for pancreatitis in this...
Pancreatitis can be caused by medications, gall stones, surgeries or heavy alcohol use. Learn more about diets for pancreatitis in this nutrition video.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a disease wherein the body does not produce adequate, or any, insulin to control blood sugar, which can result in coma or death if insulin is not delivered into the body regularly. Learn more about diabetes type 1...
