Pancreas Health

The pancreas is a small elongated organ located in the upper abdomen. It is a crucial part of both the digestive as well as metabolic system of the body.

As a metabolic organ, it produces Insulin, which is crucial for the regulation of the body’s blood glucose system. As a part of the digestive system, it produces a liquid substance known as enzymes to help digest the fats and carbohydrates in the food that we eat.

The pancreas can be affected by a number of conditions such as:

• Cysts
• Inflammation or infection
• Cancer

Cysts and lumps can arise in the pancreas, and often they do not cause symptoms and are incidentally picked up on scans. The size and nature of the cysts and lumps are factors that would suggest if they are benign (harmless) or have a potential of being malignant.

The pancreas can also become swollen and inflamed resulting in a condition known as pancreatitis. This can result from a viral infection, toxins such as alcohol or smoking and sometimes stones blocking the duct or drainage system of the pancreas.

So it’s essential to have a healthy and happy pancreas!