The two commonest causes are gallstones , and too much alcohol. Gallstones commonly form in the gallbladder . Alcohol causes acute pancreatitis by direct poisoning of the gland. We do know that women are more sensitive to alcohol than men, and most authorities recommend 3 or less drinks per day for men, and 2 for women. Once pancreatitis has occurred, alcohol should be avoided completely.
Alcohol can aggravate pancreatitis even if it has originally been caused by something else.
The pancreas can become acutely inflamed as a result of direct injury, e.g. a severe blow to the upper abdomen during an accident. The types of people likely to develop pancreatitis are obvious from the list of causes. Clinical features of acute pancreatitis Patients present with sudden severe upper abdominal pain which may be felt also in the back. The pain is often associated with nausea and vomiting. This means that much of the pancreatic tissue is destroyed, with severe inflammation and leakage of enzymes, fluids and poisons.