Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) refers to a deficiency of pancreatic enzymes, which leads to a digestion problem in the small intestine. The digestive enzymes play a major role in the breakdown and absorption of nutrients. EPI can cause digestive and nutritional problems due to digestive enzymes deficiency which results in nutritional malabsorption. Today, we are going to discuss exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and its symptoms, causes, and management strategies in this article.
Symptoms of EPI
EPI patients often face difficulty in absorbing the fat from foods due to pancreas dysfunction and insufficient enzyme formation in the body. This leads to severe digestive problems, which are given below:
- Steatorrhea (excessive fat in the stool): Patients may experience an excretion of fat stool due to poor fat absorption.
- Abdominal pain: Individuals may experience cramps, discomfort, or pain in the abdomen due to the changes in the bowel movement.
- Gas and bloating: You may experience gas or bloating due to malabsorption of the food.
- Diarrhea: Individuals may have a loose or watery stool during the bowel movement.
- Unexplained weight loss: Individuals may experience sudden weight loss due to the poor absorption of nutrients from the food.
Causes of EPI
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can be caused by the following factors which are given below:
- Chronic Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas): Long-term inflammation of the pancreas can damage the pancreatic gland, affecting its ability to produce digestive enzymes, leading to EPI.
- Cystic Fibrosis: It leads to a thick formation of mucus in the pancreas, which blocks the pancreatic enzyme from entering into the small intestine.
- Pancreatic Cancer: Pancreatic cancer or tumor can lead to the disruption of the normal function of the pancreatic gland, which leads to EPI.
- Pancreatic Surgery: Surgery like pancreaticoduodenectomy (removal of the pancreas) can lead to EPI in individuals.
- Celiac Disease: It is an autoimmune disease that leads to the disruption of enteric-mediated hormonal secretion in the body. Thereby, it leads to EPI in the patients.
Diagnosis
- Fecal elastase test (FE-1)
- Fecal fat test
- Secretin pancreatic function test
- CT scans or abdominal ultrasound.
Management Strategies of EPI
EPI is a lifelong condition that can be managed by following the advice of a doctor. Some of the EPI management strategies are given below:
- Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT): Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy will help replace the enzymes that our pancreas creates. This can be consumed in capsule forms and taken with the foods. Creon 25000 capsule is a pancreatic replacement enzyme containing an active ingredient called pancreatin, a high-strength pancreatic enzyme supplement. This medicine has natural enzymes taken from pig pancreas glands to treat EPI in patients.
- Diet: Due to the malabsorption in your body, it is important to add a high-calorie and fat diet to your daily routine to compensate for nutritional loss in EPI. Your doctor or nutritionist will suggest a proper diet for the EPI.
- Vitamin supplements: Your doctor may suggest you take vitamin supplements to maintain a healthy nutrient level. EPI patients often struggle to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) through food.
Prevention measure
EPI can be prevented in the following ways, which are given below:
- Avoid alcohol and smoking: Avoiding excessive alcohol intake and quitting smoking can benefit overall pancreatic health. Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking can increase the workload of the pancreas, which can affect the pancreas, resulting in EPI.
- Regular Monitoring: Periodical check-ups and monitoring of nutritional status can help in the early diagnosis of the disease in individuals who have the possibility of EPI.
Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency patients need special care to manage the disease in a better way. It is important to follow a proper diet plan and take supplements to manage malnutrition in the EPI. It is advised to consult your doctor for a proper diagnostic procedure and personalized treatment plan to manage the EPI and its symptoms.
