What is the pancreas?

It's important to get to know the pancreas and what can happen when it doesn't work as it should.

What does your digestive system do?

Your digestive system turns food and liquid into the building blocks that your body needs to function effectively. To do this, a variety of enzymes and other substances are produced and used, breaking food down into smaller molecules.

Guts UK digestive system poster. All parts are labelled from top to bottom, from the salivary glands, to the anus.

What is the pancreas?

The pancreas plays a crucial role in our digestion. It is a gland that lies in the upper half of the abdomen (behind the stomach and in front of the spine). It’s salmon pink, six inches long and about as thick as your wrist at its widest part.

Guts UK labelled diagram of the pancreas and parts of the digestive system connected to it and surrounding it, including the liver, gallbladder, stomach, bile duct, pancreatic duct, and sphincter of Oddi.

What is the role of the pancreas?

The pancreas has two main functions:

  1. To produce digestive enzymes that pass into the small intestine to aid the chemical digestion of fat, carbohydrates and protein.
  2. To produce hormones such as insulin.

Guts UK brand character illustration of Pablo the Pancreas, looking up to the right, smiling. He is yellow and wears black boots.

What is pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. The two main types of pancreatitis are acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas gland, beginning in the cells in the pancreas that produce the digestive enzymes. The pancreas becomes red, angry and swollen. In severe cases, the pancreas and fatty tissue that surrounds it can be damaged beyond repair.

Either gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption causes 8 in 10 cases of acute pancreatitis in adults. However, for 1 in 10 people with acute pancreatitis, no cause will be identified. This is known as idiopathic pancreatitis.

Guts UK brand character illustration of Pablo the Pancreas, looking shocked. He is yellow and wears black boots. To the right of him are several digestive enzymes.

Chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is a long-standing inflammation of the pancreas. A normal pancreas is soft with a smooth surface, but in chronic pancreatitis, the surface becomes harder and knobbly. There is no single cause of chronic pancreatitis, but in most people diagnosed, there is probably a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Drinking too much alcohol accounts for about 7 in 10 people diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. Smoking tobacco is recognised as harmful to the pancreas as well. However, even among people who drink too much alcohol and/or smoke, chronic pancreatitis is uncommon. However, once chronic pancreatitis is established, it is important to give up alcohol and tobacco to prevent the progression of the condition. For up to 3 out of 10 people with chronic pancreatitis, the cause cannot be identified. This is known as idiopathic chronic pancreatitis.

Guts UK brand character illustration of Pablo the Pancreas, looking sad, crying. He is yellow and wears black boots. He has navy blue plasters on him, as well as red pain points, with red lightning bolts coming off them.

Are you eager to learn more about pancreatitis?

We provide expert information on acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis, which you can print, download and share with those around you for free.  You can also follow us on social media by searching ‘gutscharityuk’ to get involved with Kranky Panky, and to learn more about pancreatitis, the people impacted and the vital work we do. Together, we’re getting to grips with digestive conditions such as pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis Guts UK information leaflets, on a white table, with a green, luscious cheese plant in the top right hand corner, from a bird's eye view.

You can help support those impacted by pancreatitis

Guts UK is the national charity for the digestive system. We are the only UK charity funding a research fellowship into pancreatitis.

Our digestive systems have been underfunded, undervalued and misunderstood for decades. Guts UK exists to change that. 

You can help us improve the lives of millions of people affected by digestive conditions. Please consider donating today.

Two members of the Guts UK team - Diane and Helen - stand in front of Colin our inflatable colon. They wear Guts UK branded t-shirts and hold our patient information leaflets in their hands. They are smiling at a man, who has his back to the camera. He has short dark hair and wears a long sleeved grey sweatshirt.

Learn more about Kranky Panky:

Guts UK's brand illustration character of Pablo the pancreas with eyes closed, with a fed-up expression. The pancreas is yellow and wears black boots. There is a tear falling from his eye, and red patches of radiating pain on his body, with thunder bolts coming out to represent pain. He also has a few navy plasters on.

What is Kranky Panky?

Guts UK pancreas character illustration on a teal background

2025 Kranky Panky stories

A birds eye view of Guts UK acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis leaflets, on a white table, with a lush, green, cheese plants to the top right.

Read our acute pancreatitis information

A selection of Guts UK patient information leaflets are displayed on a stand, on top of a table. Behind the stand, two people stand together talking.

Read our chronic pancreatitis information