Lipase Symptoms
- Hyperlipasemia is a medical condition where you body produces too much lipase. There are many causes for this condition. Pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas enlarges, causing it to produce more lipase. Pancreatic and stomach tumors can also cause high lipase. Gallbladder infections and kidney failure can also result in excessive lipase.
- A major problem with hyperlipasemia is that the condition itself has no symptoms. The only way to know if you have it is by developing complications, such as pancreatitis. With this in mind, watch out for certain symptoms. Chest pain, nausea, sweating, weakness and vomiting are all signs of pancreatitis. The pancreas is also responsible for producing insulin, an ability that can be stifled if the organ is inflamed. As a result, you may experience symptoms of diabetes, even if you do not have the condition. Signs include exhaustion, increased urination, severe thirst and weight loss.
- While excessive lipase is detrimental, there is another extreme that is just as bad. A lack of lipase in the body makes it virtually impossible for an individual to digest fat. This is a rare genetic disorder called familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency. It affects one in 1 million people, according the U.S. National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus. This problem manifests itself in childhood as undigested fat accumulates in the blood.
- Common symptoms of low lipase include nausea, vomiting, low appetite, abdominal pain and pain in the muscles or bones. More advanced, severe symptoms involve developmental problems in infancy, deposits of fat in the skin, frequent pancreatitis, pale or white retinas, swollen liver or swollen spleen. Jaundice is also a sign, which is characterized by yellowing of the eyes or skin.
