Gastritis and Its Treatment
Gastritis – a condition when the stomach lining becomes very inflamed. Mostly, gastritis occurs due to the bacteria action, provoking stomach ulcers. Addiction to alcohol can also cause this illness.
The condition is sudden or manifest gradually over time – a chronic pathology. Gastritis progression causes dangerous wounds in the stomach lining, and sometimes leads to cancer cells formation. Nevertheless, in most cases it’s a benign condition.
Gastritis causes
In gastritis, the mucosal barrier lining the stomach becomes inflamed. Consequently, food juice damages the organ and provokes pain in it. Against the background of certain pathologies, the risk of gastritis increases.
Doctors identify several factors contributing to disease appearance:
- infections affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Some harmful bacteria are inherited. Additionally, bad habits, in particular smoking, contribute to infection;
- constant use of painkillers has a negative effect on the gastric mucosa;
- age category 40+;
- alcohol abuse;
- constant exposure to heavy stress;
- drugs used to treat cancer;
- defects in the immune system functioning, provoking attacks of healthy stomach cells;
- other pathologies affecting the organism as a whole.
Gastritis symptoms
Gastritis manifests itself as follows:
- burning ache in the abdominal cavity, accompanying food digestion processes. While eating, the pain gets worse;
- vomiting bouts;
- frequent nausea;
- there’s a feeling of fullness in the upper abdomen after eating.
Sometimes, gastritis is asymptomatic.
Gastritis diagnosis
To make an accurate diagnosis, specialists carefully investigate family anamnez. Complete medical examination is also required. Doctors prescribe the following.
- Endoscopy – a tube with a camera is inserted into the stomach, then doctors examine the mucous membrane. This procedure is performed to determine inflammation.
- Mucosal cells biopsy.
- Complete blood test – checking the red blood cells rate to determine if there are enough bodies in blood for its proper renewal.
- Fecal masses test – blood presence in feces.
Gastritis treatment
If the condition doesn’t manifest itself and doesn’t cause discomfort to patients, then to treat gastritis isn’t required. With general symptomatology manifestation, specialists resort to the following treatment techniques:
- meds helping reduce the concentration of stomach acidic environment: antacids, etc.;
- patients should exclude spicy meals. Dishes shouldn’t be hot;
- if there’s an infection, doctors prescribe antibiotics;
- if gastritis develops against the anemia background, patients undergo a course of vitamin B12 injections;
- nutrition shouldn’t contain products irritating the gastric mucosa, particularly, gluten, lactose, etc.
Gastritis becomes less noticeable when patients remove from their life factors contributing to condition activation. It’s strictly forbidden to prescribe treatments for gastritis on your own.
