What happens in pancreatitis?
My husband had it. He is not a drinker. — C.K. Dear R.M. and C.K: Many things can cause pancreatitis — inflammation of the pancreas. Alcohol is only one of them. A gallstone that blocks the duct that drains both the gallbladder and the pancreas is the No. 1 cause. Any abdominal injury can cause it. So can high blood triglycerides or high blood calcium levels. Some medicines can bring it on. A number of viruses are able to inflame the gland — mumps and coxsackie are two of them. An immune attack on the pancreas is another possibility. The pancreas makes enzymes that digest carbohydrates, fats and protein. Nature has given it a protective barrier that keeps these enzymes from digesting the gland, or cannibalizing itself, so to speak. If the barrier is disrupted, whatever the cause, the pancreas falls victim to its own digestive enzymes: pancreatitis. An attack starts with steady, boring pain around the navel, and the pain bores into the back or spreads to the chest, the side or the lo
