There are several types of pancreatic disease, but diabetes is the most common one. If you have diabetes, your pancreas isn't working right to control your blood sugar.

When your blood sugar gets too high, it can cause damage to your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart. When it's too low, you can become comatose. 

• Type 1 diabetes: A chronic disease where your pancreas doesn't produce insulin.
• Type 2 diabetes: When your body becomes resistant to insulin.
• Gestational diabetes: Insulin resistance that ramps up during pregnancy. When your blood sugar is too high, the baby can grow too big, making delivery difficult.

Some pancreatic conditions are risk factors for others. If you have diabetes, you're more likely to get pancreatitis, for example.

• Pancreatitis: This is inflammation, or swelling, of the pancreas, which can happen for many reasons. Acute pancreatitis is short-term inflammation. Chronic pancreatitis occurs when inflammation gets worse and worse over time. Both can lead to complications, including heart, lung, or kidney failure and even death.
• Complications from cystic fibrosis (CF): If you have CF, your pancreas may not make enough insulin. Most people with CF produce a sticky mucus that can block pancreatic ducts. It can stop digestive enzymes from reaching the small intestine. That leaves food undigested, causing pain, constipation, and cramping.
• Pancreatic cancer: Cancers are abnormal cells that grow out of control. In the pancreas, it occurs most often in older people. Symptoms are mild until the disease spreads, which makes it harder to treat.

At Carilion, we tailor our treatment to your condition. 

Lifestyle changes

Regular exercise can stabilize your blood sugar and help you manage diabetes. Activity and maintaining a healthy weight can also help prevent pancreatic disease.

Eating well and following a diabetic diet can also help control blood sugar. Aim for whole grains, lean protein, and a variety of colorful vegetables. If you have pancreatic disease, soft-cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw ones. 

Medicine

Your doctor may prescribe medicines, including:

• Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT): If your pancreas no longer produces enzymes, PERT helps you digest food. You'll need PERT if you have part, or all of your pancreas removed. This medicine is a pill taken with meals.
• Insulin therapy: If you have diabetes, your body doesn't produce or properly use insulin. You may need to inject insulin several times a day. Some people use a pump to deliver insulin throughout the day.
• Diabetes medicines: These can improve insulin sensitivity and production and promote weight loss. 
• Cancer treatments: Pancreatic cancer care often includes radiation, chemotherapy, targeted treatments, and immunotherapy. The treatments vary based on the location and stage of your cancer.

Surgery

Surgery may be a treatment option for some pancreatic diseases. These include:

• Pancreatic cancer surgery to remove part or all of your pancreas
• Surgery to treat severe acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis
• Bariatric surgery to help improve type 2 diabetes