Chronic pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that does not heal or improve—it gets worse over time and leads to permanent damage. Chronic pancreatitis eventually impairs a patient's ability to digest food and make pancreatic hormones. Chronic pancreatitis is not life threatening, but many patients do not live as long as their age-matched peers in the general population. The healthy pancreas empties digestive secretions into the intestine after each meal. Because chronic pancreatitis cannot be cured, treatment is directed toward relieving pain, improving food absorption, and treating diabetes. For milder types of pain, medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others) may help. Many people need narcotic medications to control the pain. Repeat episodes of acute pancreatitis can bring on chronic pancreatitis. Over time, the condition can lead to chronic pain, malnutrition and malabsorption, and diabetes. In more serious cases, pancreatitis can lead to pancreatic cancer, kidney failure, and even death.