Pancreatic insufficiency Symptoms

Synonyms

Weakness of pancreatic function, reduced pancreatic function, insufficient production capacity of the pancreas, pancreatic insufficiency

Synonyms in a broader sense

weight loss, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dyspeptic complaints, diarrhoea, fatty stools, flatulence, diabetes

General definition

Functional weakness (insufficiency) is generally defined as the inability of an organ to perform its tasks adequately. The fact that the functionality of this organ is insufficient is then expressed in different signs of illness (symptoms), depending on which organ is affected. The pancreas is divided functionally into two parts.

One part, anatomically located in the tail of the pancreas (cauda pancreatis), produces hormones, which it then releases “inwards” (endocrine) – i.e. into the blood. The other part, anatomically more likely to be located in the head of the pancreas (cauda pancreatis), produces digestive juices containing enzymes, which it then releases into the intestine. Strictly speaking, everything inside the intestinal tube (which is open at the top and bottom) is outside the body; this is why the second part of the pancreas is called the “outward-releasing” (exocrine) part. Depending on which part of the pancreas no longer fulfils its function, the specialist refers to it as exocrine or endocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

Symptoms of endocrine insufficiency

The endocrine part of the pancreas produces a variety of hormones and small, often regulatory proteins (peptides). The most important hormone produced there, the lack of which is then also responsible for the symptoms in cases of insufficiency, is insulin. Insulin gets its name from the fact that it is produced in the so-called “Langerhans Islands” of the pancreas – and only there.

In healthy people, insulin is released mainly after eating and ensures that the sugar absorbed from the blood is quickly absorbed by fat cells, liver cells and muscle cells to prevent high blood sugar levels. The hormone glucagon, which acts as an antagonist of insulin and leads to an increase in insulin when the blood sugar level is too low, is also produced there. If the production of these hormones is restricted, this leads to insufficient regulation of the blood sugar level.

This leads to too high blood sugar levels, especially after meals, and too low blood sugar levels after long meal breaks. A lack of insulin is also known as insulin deficiency diabetes (diabetes mellitus type 1). In the long term, too high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels and kidneys and can lead to high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, water retention (oedema), tingling and sensory disturbances (polyneuropathy), occlusive arterial disease, heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke (apoplexy). Pathologically increased drinking (polydypsie) and urination (polyuria) are also noticeable. Furthermore, too high (as well as too low) blood sugar levels can lead to coma.