When you feel nauseous while eating 'this food'... a red flag for pancreatic health!

 

◇Inner nausea, diarrhea

 

The pancreas is the only organ in the digestive system that produces enzymes to break down fats. When the pancreas is abnormal, the body's ability to digest fats can decline. This can lead to nausea, and unabsorbed fats in the digestive tract may be excreted in the stool, causing diarrhea. The color of the stool becomes lighter and its density decreases. Sometimes, due to undigested fat components, the toilet water may appear to have an oil film floating on the surface.

 

If you experience nausea that you haven't felt before after eating high-fat fast food or meat, you should be cautious. Especially if you have diabetes, you should consider checking your pancreatic health.

 

◇Abdominal pain and back pain

 

Abdominal pain is a common symptom of pancreatic cancer and acute pancreatitis. In this case, since the pancreas is located near the back, patients may also experience back pain along with abdominal pain. If abdominal pain persists for several weeks and is accompanied by indigestion, loss of appetite, decreased food intake due to pain, and weight loss, it may be a sign of pancreatic cancer. Patients using acid suppressants for reflux esophagitis or other issues should inform their doctor if symptoms do not improve. It is common to mistake pain caused by pancreatic cancer for reflux or other gastrointestinal disorders, but if the pain is sudden, intense, and concentrated in the center of the abdomen, it could be acute pancreatitis.

 

Weight loss

 

Loss of appetite and decreased food intake due to pancreatic cancer-related pain can lead to weight loss. If you lose more than 5% of your usual body weight over six months without any specific reason, or approximately 4.5 kg regardless of the period, it is advisable to visit a hospital for evaluation.

 

Worsening of diabetes

 

Diabetes can be both a cause and a result of pancreatic cancer. Usually, in individuals over 50 years old with no family history, sudden onset of diabetes should prompt an investigation for pancreatic cancer. Among the cells of the pancreas, beta cells in the endocrine function secrete insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. When conditions such as pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer progress, pancreatic cells are destroyed, including these beta cells. As a result, diabetes may develop, or well-controlled diabetes may worsen. In fact, in patients with chronic pancreatitis, diabetes occurs in 90% of cases as the disease progresses.