Acute pancreatitis Gallstones and alcohol cause around 80% of cases. Gallstones are the most common cause of acute pancreatitis. These stones are often harmless, but can sometimes get stuck in your bile duct (a tube carrying bile away from the liver ) or where the bile duct and pancreatic duct join the duodenum. This can stop the juices produced in the pancreas getting to other parts of your body, which can damage the pancreas and cause pancreatitis. Alcohol is another common cause of acute pancreatitis. It is not fully understood how alcohol causes the condition, but it is common after bouts of heavy drinking. Other less common causes include parasite infections, injury to the pancreas, viral infections (such as mumps), high blood fat or calcium levels. In some cases (about 1 in every 10 cases) it is not possible to find a cause. Chronic pancreatitis Excessive alcohol causes about 80% of cases of chronic pancreatitis, although like with acute pancreatitis, it is not clear why. It is clear though that the inflammation causes damage to the pancreas over time. The majority of people with this condition have been drinking heavily for ten years or more before the symptoms start. Men between the ages of 40 and 50 are most commonly affected. It is rare for chronic pancreatitis not to be caused by alcohol, but in some cases it can be hereditary (runs in the family) and sometimes the cause is simply unknown.
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