Beware these signs of pancreatitis as former Disney Channel star hospitalized

Actor and comedian Rondell Sheridan, best known for his role as Victor Baxter on Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven,” revealed this week that he was recently hospitalized due to a severe case of pancreatitis.“I got released and I thought I was on the road to recovery, but it was just for observation,” Sheridan shared in an Instagram video, explaining that there’s little to be done now but wait for his condition to improve.Mostly bedridden for the foreseeable future, the beloved TV dad is asking fans for help with medical bills and monthly expenses as he recovers.Here’s what you need to know about the painful condition that landed him in the hospital and sidelined him from work.It’s a long, flat glandular organ, often compared to the shape of a tadpole, nestled behind your stomach and in front of your spine.The pancreas plays an important role in both your digestive and endocrine systems, producing enzymes to break down food and hormones to regulate your blood sugar levels. It’s a condition where your pancreas becomes inflamed and damaged, usually because its own digestive juices or enzymes start attacking the organ, according to the Cleveland Clinic.There are two types.

Acute pancreatitis is a temporary yet painful condition that occurs when the pancreas is recovering from a minor injury.Most people recover within a few days, either on their own or with treatment.Chronic pancreatitis, however, is a different story.

It doesn’t heal or improve.Instead, the condition worsens over time, leading to permanent damage, like scarring of the pancreatic tissue, which can prevent the organ from producing critical enzymes and hormones.In the US, acute pancreatitis sends 275,000 people to the hospital each year, with about 20% of cases considered severe.

Chronic pancreatitis is less common but still results in at least 86,000 hospitalizations annually.Heavy alcohol use is one of the leading causes of pancreatitis, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.After...