Where Is The Pancreas Located On The Human Body – Your pancreas is a small pear-shaped gland, about the size of your fist. It is located behind your stomach, under the liver and next to the small intestine. The pancreas plays a vital role in keeping you healthy by helping you digest your food and maintaining healthy blood sugar (glucose) levels. Learn more about your pancreas and conditions that may affect it.

Your pancreas produces enzymes that help you digest your food. These digestive enzymes move from the pancreas and empty into the small intestine, specifically the duodenum, through the pancreatic duct. This is the area where bile from the liver enters the digestive system. Both help break down fats in the food and drinks you consume.

Where Is The Pancreas Located On The Human Body

The pancreas produces many hormones that affect appetite and metabolism. Chief among these are insulin and glucagon, which work together to help control blood sugar (glucose) levels. When you consume sugar, the pancreas secretes insulin to lower your blood sugar levels. When blood sugar gets too low, glucagon is released to raise blood sugar levels. These two hormones work together to maintain a steady, safe blood sugar level, no matter what you consume. Diabetes can occur when your body can no longer regulate blood sugar levels. There are three types of diabetes.

Human Digestive System

Overtime, untreated high blood sugar levels from type 1 or type 2 diabetes can damage organs and tissues and cause other health problems. It is important to manage your diabetes with diet, exercise, medication and insulin therapy according to your treatment plan. Researchers are also working on pancreas transplantation.

Besides diabetes, your pancreas may also be affected by other conditions or diseases, such as pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed. It can be acute, meaning it occurs suddenly, or chronic, meaning it doesn’t go away and gets worse over time. Acute pancreatitis is most often caused by gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption. Severe cases can be life-threatening. Chronic pancreatitis can run in families, but it can also be caused by blockages in the duct where pancreatic enzymes leave the pancreas. It can also be triggered by very high triglyceride levels or an autoimmune response when your body starts attacking cells in the pancreas. People with chronic pancreatitis are recommended to stop consuming alcohol to reduce its severity and slow the progression of the disease.

Pancreatic cancer is not common. It accounts for approximately 3% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States and affects approximately 57,000 people in the United States each year. Since pancreatic cancer does not cause any symptoms in its early stages, it is often diagnosed in advanced stages, where it is much more difficult to treat. Even if diagnosed early, the 5-year survival rate, i.e. the number of people surviving 5 years after diagnosis, is only 34%.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency: Causes, Risk Factors

The signs and symptoms of diabetes are associated with constantly rising levels of sugar in your blood. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include:

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are similar, but you may also experience tingling or pain in your feet or hands.

Chronic pancreatitis can also cause the same abdominal pain, involuntary weight loss, and foul-smelling, greasy bowel movements.

Not all pancreas-related conditions, such as type 1 diabetes, are preventable. However, you can minimize your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet, reducing your sugar and fat intake, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption. Maintaining a healthy weight can also help keep type 2 diabetes at bay.

Purpose, Role, Function And Location Of The Pancreas

Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN, has been writing health information for the past 20 years. She has extensive experience writing about health issues such as sepsis, cancer, mental health issues and women’s health. She is also the author of Just the Right Dose: Your Smart Guide to Prescription Drugs and How to Take them Safely.

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By submitting this form you agree to the terms and conditions of the User Agreement and Privacy Policy and you can opt out at any time. The pancreas is a glandular organ located in the abdominal area. It forms part of the digestive system. It produces insulin and secretes fluid that helps break down food. Problems with the pancreas can lead to diabetes, pancreatitis, and other health problems.

Overview Of The Digestive System

The pancreas secretes enzymes or digestive juices into the small intestine. Here it continues to break down the food leaving the stomach. The pancreas also produces the hormone insulin and secretes it into the bloodstream, where it regulates the body’s glucose or sugar levels.

Problems with insulin control can lead to secondary diabetes, and inflammation of the pancreas can lead to pancreatitis. Noncancerous and malignant tissues can also grow on the pancreas.

The largest part is located on the right side of the abdomen, where the stomach connects to the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. The narrow part of the pancreas extends to the left side of the abdomen, next to the spleen.

A duct runs throughout the pancreas and connects to the organ at several points. This duct eventually connects to the common bile duct, which runs down from the liver. This joint pathway delivers bile to the duodenum.

Anatomy Of Human Pancreas, With Labels Wall Art, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints, Wall Peels

Approximately 95% of the pancreas is exocrine tissue. Exocrine tissue secretes substances into tissues and body parts outside the bloodstream.

. Endocrine tissue secretes substances into the bloodstream. These grape-like cell clusters produce important hormones that regulate pancreatic secretions and control blood sugar.

Exocrine tissues secrete a clear, watery, alkaline fluid into the common bile duct and eventually the duodenum. This substance contains various enzymes that break down food into small molecules. The intestines can then absorb these small molecules.

Endocrine tissue secretes insulin and other hormones into the bloodstream. Pancreatic beta cells secrete insulin when blood sugar rises.

Human Pancreas Photograph By Pixologicstudio

Insulin moves glucose from the blood to muscles and other tissues to be used as energy. Insulin also helps the liver absorb glucose and stores glucose as glycogen in case the body needs energy during stress or exercise. When blood sugar drops, the alpha cells of the pancreas secrete the hormone glucagon.

Glucagon triggers the breakdown of glycogen into glucose in the liver. Glucose then enters the bloodstream, returning blood sugar levels to normal.

For example, if the pancreas does not produce enough digestive enzymes, the digestive system will not absorb nutrients as desired. This can cause weight loss and diarrhea.

Inflammation can occur if gallstones or tumors block the main duct from the pancreas. Pancreatic juices accumulate in the pancreas and cause damage. The pancreas may begin to digest itself.

Human Digestive System (pancreas) Infographic

Pancreatitis can occur as a result of mumps, gallstones, trauma, and alcohol, steroid, and drug use.

Acute pancreatitis is sudden and rapid inflammation of the organ. The condition is rare but needs urgent medical attention.

It is a progressive condition that can cause permanent damage. The person may experience pain, diarrhea, malnutrition, or diabetes. Treatment aims to control pain by replacing lost enzymes.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer may not appear until the cancer is in advanced stages. By then it may be too late for successful treatment. The outlook for pancreatic cancer tends to be poor. 5 year survival rate

Pancreas Pancreatic Duct Organ Human Digestive System Rendering Illustration Anatomy Stock Photo By ©mattlphotography 618707390

For localized pancreatic cancer. If cancer is also found in other organs, this rate drops to 3 percent. The overall 5-year survival rate is 11%.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas and they no longer produce insulin. The exact cause is unknown, but it may be caused by genetic and environmental factors, including viruses.

Process glucose adequately. This occurs when cells cannot properly use the insulin produced by the pancreas or when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin. As a result, the body can no longer control blood sugar levels.

The pancreas is a large gland that plays a vital role in the digestive system. It secretes enzymes that help break down food and produces insulin, which is vital for managing blood sugar.

Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Inflammation of the pancreas is known as pancreatitis. This can lead to pain, discomfort, and many health complications.

Avoiding smoking and excessive drinking and eating a balanced, healthy diet are the best ways to maintain pancreatic health.

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