Gastritis of the stomach: symptoms and treatment, diet in adults

Stomach cancer is dangerous not only as a malignant neoplasm, but also because of its complications, which pose an immediate danger to the patient’s life. The most common complications of stomach cancer that can cause the death of a patient are perforation or perforation of the tumor, blocking the lumen of the stomach (stenosis) and bleeding. The most important factors for the successful treatment of this cancer are early diagnosis, determination of its degree, radiation and chemotherapy after surgery, ensuring a positive prognosis for patients.

Lifespan

The question of how long people live with stomach cancer and whether there is any point in surgery undoubtedly worries many. To predict the results of therapy in oncology, the term “five-year survival” is used, which assumes that if a patient lives 5 years after treatment, he is considered absolutely healthy. If the disease was discovered too late, and the outcome is already predetermined, the patient should feel the care and participation of family and friends, ensuring a decent quality of life until death occurs.

The overall survival rate for gastric cancer after surgery is about 20% of all patients.

This low rate is justified by the detection of the disease in late stages. However, each individual case is individual, and the survival rate of a particular patient and his life expectancy after surgery cannot be subject to general statistics.

In countries with a high level of medical care, cancer is detected at an early stage, and therefore mortality statistics and a positive prognosis look optimistic. So, with early diagnosis, the five-year survival rate for stomach cancer in Japan is about 80-90%.

In Russia, the statistical picture reflecting the detection and survival of patients is as follows:

Stage 0, detected early, can be completely cured after proper treatment and proper nutrition;
Stage I is detected in 10-20% of patients, the five-year survival rate is at the level of 60-80%;
Stages II-III of the disease, in which regional lymph nodes are affected, cancer is diagnosed in a third of patients, survival rate is 15-50%;
Stage IV of the disease with metastases to organs is determined in half of the patients, the five-year survival rate is no higher than 5-7%.

In addition to the degree of advanced disease, patient survival is also influenced by factors such as:

Nature of the tumor;
The condition of the patient’s body and the presence of concomitant diseases;
Treatment provided before and after surgery.

A positive prognosis in patients with gastric cancer is primarily determined by the possibility of radical surgery, and only a small percentage of non-operated patients live more than 5 years. Distant spread of metastases also significantly reduces the life expectancy of patients. In such a situation, even surgery cannot save you - death occurs in less than 2 years.

Symptoms of gastritis

Gastritis manifests itself as disorders of the digestive system and general disorders. The first signs of gastritis are not difficult to notice, since they almost always manifest themselves with pronounced local symptoms. Among the digestive disorders, patients experience heaviness, a feeling of pressure, belching, an attack of nausea after fried or fatty foods, a sour taste after eating, and bad breath.

Heartburn in patients indicates the reflux of stomach contents back into the esophagus. Another sign of gastritis is pain and heaviness in the stomach area that occurs after eating. Patients whose diffuse gastritis is caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria experience signs of dyspepsia: constipation and unstable stools, bloating, flatulence, rumbling. Patients with the allergic type of gastritis suffer from prolonged diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, sensitivity to certain foods or medications, and eosinophilia.

General disorders in patients with gastritis are manifested by weakness and dysfunctional disorders of the cardiovascular system. With atrophic gastritis, dumping syndrome can be observed, and patients with vitamin B12 deficiency suffer from weakness, drowsiness, loss of interest in life, and fatigue. Patients who are carriers of Helicobacter pylori have symptoms similar to stomach ulcers.

Causes of cancer development

Cancer arises from genetically foreign tumor cells with signs of aggression, which are characterized by:

rapid growth with the ability to divide every 30 minutes;
germination into tissues with subsequent destruction;
metastasis, in which cells spread through the lymphatic and blood vessels to other organs, after which a secondary tumor grows;
increased vascularization, or the release of specific substances that stimulate the growth of blood vessels, which entails an increase in blood flow and nutrition to the tumor while simultaneously “robbing” nearby healthy tissues;
toxin formation, or poisoning of the entire body with poisons secreted by a malignant tumor, leading to its complete depletion.

The main causes of stomach cancer are:

viruses that can change the genome of a cell (papillomavirus, Epstein-Barr virus);
carriage of Helicobacter pylori;
carcinogenic chemicals that selectively act and change the DNA of cells;
poor nutrition with systematic excessive consumption of spicy, fried foods that irritate the gastric mucosa;
ionizing radiation that changes the genome of cells (radiation, X-rays);
tar and nicotine, which are powerful carcinogens;
immunodeficiency state;
genetic predisposition.

In addition to the listed reasons for the formation of tumor cells in the stomach, there are some diseases that can trigger the development of cancer, including:

Chronic atrophic gastritis;
Stomach erosion or ulcer;
Polyps;
Duodenogastric reflux.

Causes of gastritis

The etiology of the disease is due to the effect on the gastric mucosa of a number of factors. Doctors have combined the decisive factors into two groups - exogenous (that is, external) and endogenous (internal). Exogenous effects on the stomach include:

Ingress of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (Hp). Normally, it lives in the antrum and does not harm human health. But when the acidity level increases, Helicobacter moves to the duodenum, and when it decreases, it moves to the area of the body and fundus of the stomach. The destructive effect of Helicobacter Pylori is to damage epithelial cells and trigger a chain of mucosal reactions that contribute to the destruction of epithelial cells. Helicobacter Pylori provokes an increase in pepsin and hydrochloric acid and disrupts cytoregeneration processes.
Frequent abuse of alcoholic beverages.
Taking medications that irritate the mucous membrane. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs take precedence among drugs that have a negative effect on the stomach. Their long-term use provokes severe disorders in the gastric mucosa in the antrum region - ulcers, erosions, inflammation of the mucous membrane, bleeding, gastritis of the stomach.
Smoking.
Radiation exposure.
Intestinal parasites.
Mushrooms.
Nutritional factors.
Chemical exposure.

Endogenous factors leading to the disease include:

Genetic component.
Autoimmune disorders. Autoimmune gastritis occurs when mucosal cells are not recognized by the own immune system and attack them.
Duodenogastric reflux. Reflux is provoked by incomplete closure of the pylorus, chronic duodenitis. Pathology leads to destruction of the gastric mucosa by bile salts and pancreatic enzymes.
Intoxication of the body.
Chronic infections.
Poisoning.
Vitamin deficiency.
Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.
Metabolic disorders.
Reflex influence of other organs on the stomach.

Types of cancer

The classification of malignant neoplasms of the stomach is based on the following criteria:

histological type of neoplasm cells;
clinical stage;
type of tumor growth.

According to the histological type of cells, the following types of stomach cancer are distinguished:

signet ring cell carcinoma, formed from mucus-producing goblet cells;
squamous cell carcinoma, which is the result of degeneration of gastric epithelial cells;
adenocarcinoma, developing from secretory cells of the organ mucosa;
glandular cancer, which occurs as a result of transformation of glandular cells;
undifferentiated cancer, which is a tumor that develops from immature cells of the gastric mucosa that have not undergone differentiation.

Undifferentiated cancer has rapid growth, the presence of metastases and the most pronounced malignancy and often leads to such a sad outcome as the death of the patient.

According to the type of growth pathology, stomach cancer is divided into:

Intestinal type, in which the cells are interconnected, and the tumor slowly grows into the organ cavity (glandular cancer, adenocarcinoma);
Diffuse type, characterized by the fact that tumor cells are not connected to each other, and the neoplasm itself does not protrude into the cavity (undifferentiated cancer).

Depending on the severity of the process, 5 clinical stages of stomach cancer can be distinguished, namely:

Stage 0 – the tumor is small in size, does not invade the basement membrane and does not have metastases; its removal at an early stage gives a positive prognosis for curing cancer;
Stage I - a neoplasm that does not extend beyond the stomach; the lymph nodes may contain tumor cells;
Stage II - the tumor grows through the muscle layer of the organ wall and is present in several lymph nodes; in this case, the prognosis is less favorable, removal of the tumor and chemotherapy are required;
Stage III - the neoplasm grows through all the walls, and its cells are found in 6-7 lymph nodes and in the connective tissue around the stomach;
Stage IV - an inoperable tumor, the removal of which is no longer practical, affects most lymph nodes, giving metastases to organs such as the esophagus, pancreas and liver; The prognosis is extremely unfavorable; pain relief therapy is carried out.

Types of gastritis

Like all inflammatory pathologies, gastritis is divided into acute and chronic. The acute form is a sudden short-term inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which occurs, for example, during treatment with certain medications or when eating spoiled food. Sometimes acute gastritis is provoked due to nervousness. The acute form is divided into:

Catarrhal (focal) gastritis - rapid inflammation, infiltration of the mucous membrane. Most often, catarrhal gastritis occurs as a result of poor nutrition and poisoning.
Fibrinous, manifested by inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which occurs as a result of intoxication of the body with infectious diseases or poisoning with chemicals.
Corrosive - sudden inflammation of the stomach lining with tissue death. Most often, such changes occur due to exposure to concentrated chemicals.
Phlegmonous - accompanied by purulent melting of the walls of the stomach and spilling of the contents into the submucosal layer. May be a consequence of injury, stomach cancer, ulcers or infectious diseases.

Chronic gastritis is a sluggish, recurrent inflammation of the mucous membrane that disrupts its structure and function. The disease accounts for about 90% of all gastric pathologies and is the most common disease of the digestive system. Against the background of the disease, malignant neoplasms, ulcerative lesions, and severe hemorrhages often occur. Depending on the level of acidity, the following types of gastritis are distinguished:

Hyperacid gastritis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane caused by increased acidity. Manifestations of pathology: stomach pain caused by excess hydrochloric acid, which interferes with normal digestion of food. The main manifestations of hyperacid gastritis are a gray or whitish coating on the tongue, nagging pain in the stomach, most often during fasting, nausea and vomiting after eating, weakened intestinal motility, constipation. A frequent companion is duodenitis.
Hypoacid gastritis - with low acidity. The disease is less common. The essence of the disease is the insufficient production of acid by the stomach, which is why unprepared food passes through the stomach and intestines, causing pain.
Anacidic gastritis is gastritis with zero acidity. Doctors register this type of illness the least often. The reason is the almost complete inability of the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid, as a result of which the digestive process becomes more difficult. Proteins entering the body are only partially absorbed, and their breakdown products affect the body as toxins. In the absence of acid, the lining cells of the stomach atrophy and cannot produce enough acid. For this reason, the balance of intestinal microflora is disrupted, pathogenic microbes and viruses penetrate into the stomach, and the gastric mucosa becomes thinner and inflamed. The immune system is too weakened to resist cancer. Intestinal motility decreases, patients suffer from constipation.

Signs of stomach cancer

Having heard the terrible diagnosis of “stomach cancer”, people ask the question: “How many people live with this disease?” The prognosis depends not only on the physical condition of the person, but also on the degree of neglect of the malignant pathology. In order not to waste precious time, you need to not miss the symptoms and signs indicating the possible development of pathology.

The first symptoms suggesting stomach cancer are the following:

Nausea;
Prolonged heartburn;
Feeling of fullness in the stomach after eating;
Decreased appetite and progressive weight loss;
Apathy and depression;
Sleep disturbance;
Paleness of the skin.

And although these symptoms are not specific, if they appear, it is necessary to visit a doctor and undergo a full examination. Early detection of cancer will give a chance for a good prognosis.

In later stages, the disease is indicated by symptoms such as:

anemia;
progressive weight loss;
chronic abdominal pain, becoming more intense and unbearable, radiating to the lower back and back;
constant nausea and vomiting that does not bring relief;
gastrointestinal bleeding;
weakness;
pallor of mucous membranes and skin;
dyspepsia.

Diagnostics

A diagnosis can be made based on pronounced symptoms, but no qualified physician will do this without preliminary diagnostic procedures. Otherwise, his competence is worthless.

The following procedures are carried out:

phagogastroduodenoscopy;
ultrasonography;
clinical blood test.

Of course, it is better to prevent the disease and cure it at an early stage, but you can also get rid of chronic gastritis with maximum effort.

Treatment directly depends on the type of gastritis and the stage of development of the pathology, the presence of complications. At the same time, proper nutrition as a prescribed individual diet is considered an integral part of health improvement.

Reviews from people who have gotten rid of chronic gastritis are numerous, but almost all of them claim that the diet continues even after all the symptoms of gastritis have disappeared. Treatment regimen

As mentioned above, treatment depends entirely on the type of gastritis and the condition of the damaged organ.

Gastric lavage followed by taking medications helps with inflammation of the toxic, medicinal and microbial nature of the formation. Sometimes antispasmodic, antibacterial and detoxifying drugs are prescribed. A complete list of medications is prescribed exclusively by a gastroenterologist. Any attempts at self-medication only worsen the condition.

Ordinary gastritis can be cured with just a diet in a couple of weeks. For the first few days, it is not recommended to eat at all, but only drink still water, weak unsweetened tea and medicinal decoctions. Then only light food such as mucous foods - not dry cereals, pureed soups and vegetables. Allowed products allow you to greatly diversify the menu without harming a sore stomach.

Diagnosis of the disease

Symptoms of malignant pathology should serve as a motivating factor for a visit to the doctor. Today in oncology, a number of instrumental and laboratory methods are successfully used, making it possible to identify the disease and its degree.

Among them:

Fibrogastroduodenoscopy;
Biopsy of the affected tissue with further histological examination;
MRI and computed tomography of the digestive tract;
Ultrasound of the liver and abdominal organs;
Gastrointestinal tumor markers with determination of the level of CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen).

Survival at different stages

To answer the question of who survives stomach cancer, there are a few things to consider. Oncological diseases are divided into stages. The first stage is considered the beginning of the disease, and therefore people who contacted at this stage of the disease have every chance of a full recovery. At stage 4, survival rate is low, especially if the patient has crossed the 50-year mark.

Doctors use the term “five-year survival rate.”

This means that if the patient survived the first 5 years, then he can be considered recovered

In the first stage, 80% of all cases can be cured without relapse.

Stage 2 cancer has two forms. The first form is diagnosed when the inner layer of the stomach and 3 to 6 lymph nodes are affected. In the second form, damage to the inner layer is also observed, but there are more than 7 lymph nodes. The survival rate for this condition in the first 5 years is 50%.

The third stage gives only 40% of patients a chance of five-year survival. It’s not easy to tell the patient’s relatives how long those with stage 4 stomach cancer can live. After all, only 5% are cured. And although doctors are doing everything possible, at this stage almost the entire body is affected by metastases. Even rich people who have the opportunity to undergo treatment with modern, expensive drugs and advanced technologies are not saved.

Therapy methods

To the question “How long can you live after surgery for stomach cancer?” It is impossible to answer unambiguously.

Treatment of the disease and a positive prognosis depend on the stage of the pathological process:

at stages 0 and I, organ-saving operations can be performed, involving removal of the tumor followed by a course of chemotherapy;
stage II involves surgery to partially remove the organ and lymph nodes, followed by long-term chemotherapy;
in the last stages III and IV there is no reason to carry out the operation; measures are taken to relieve pain and remove toxins from the body until the patient’s death occurs.

So that a person does not worry about the question of how to deal with stomach cancer and how long they live after treatment, it is necessary to be attentive to their health. To prevent the occurrence and development of cancer, it is necessary to have timely treatment of acute, chronic and precancerous diseases, quitting smoking and alcohol, and a proper balanced diet.

Author : Zagorodnyuk Mikhail Petrovich, especially for the site Zhkt.ru

Types of tumors

In the classification by cell type, there is a signet ring cell type of neoplasm.
Tumors are classified according to cell types, stage of development, and type of cancer growth. According to the types of cells, they are distinguished:

signet ring cell;
undifferentiated;
glandular;
squamous;
adenocarcinoma.

Based on growth, there are 2 types:

diffuse;
intestinal.

Degrees of development

There are stages of development from zero to four:

At zero, the carcinoma is very small in size and has not yet metastasized. This is the most favorable stage for cancer removal, and the percentage of survivors is high.
Initial 1st stage. The tumor develops and malignant cells enter the lymph.
The developing stage 2 is more dangerous. Complications may begin, the tumor grows on muscle tissue. During stage 2, a course of chemotherapy is prescribed.
Progressive stage 3 is dangerous because the tumor spreads to all tissues.
Stage 4 launched. This is an inoperable stomach cancer, with many metastases to the lymph nodes and other organs. Life expectancy is short.

There are four degrees of development of malignant neoplasms.

Forecasts for successful recovery

Survival rates by stage have a large difference in percentage. Treatment of stomach cancer is advisable in the first three; in this case, doctors give a positive prognosis.

At the first and second stages, survival rate is 90-95%. The patient can improve his life, while following the doctor’s recommendations regarding treatment and prevention. But even after surgery, relapse is possible, and before that, survivors do not remember the disease for approximately 5 years. But at stages 3 and 4, doctors give 1-1.5 years. The possibility of recovery at stage 3 is 35%, and at stage 4 - only 5%. Gastric cancer with metastases worsens the prognosis - they reduce the chance of living for many more years by 33%. Metastases grow up to 10 cm, and this is dangerous because they release substances that are toxic to the body and greatly worsen the patient’s condition. Treatment is greatly influenced by the mood of the patient himself and his willingness to fight for life.

How long does it take to cure gastritis?

The etiology of gastritis, the stages and forms of the disease are so diverse that it is simply impossible to unequivocally answer the question of how long it takes to treat gastritis. The only case when drug treatment will not be long-term is an acute form of pathology caused by inflammatory processes due to poisoning of the body with a large dose of alcohol or medications.

Moreover, recovery will require a complete rejection of irritants that led to an exacerbation of inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Otherwise (according to modern concepts, up to 80% of cases of chronic disease are caused by the presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract), there is no hope for a quick cure.

Of course, in order to recover, the patient will have to follow a diet throughout this time. And after that, he will have to carefully monitor his diet so as not to provoke a relapse, the treatment of which will require even more time and effort. It is impossible to determine on your own how long it takes to treat gastritis.

To do this, it will be necessary to carry out a series of diagnostic procedures aimed at identifying the factors that caused inflammation of the mucous membrane, and only on the basis of laboratory and instrumental studies will the gastroenterologist prescribe specific drug treatment, supplemented by a special diet, which will need to be followed throughout the entire period of treatment.

So if you have painful sensations in the area of the projection of the stomach, accompanied by nausea, diarrhea, heartburn, general weakness with dizziness, you must immediately make an appointment with a doctor to find out the cause of the ailment.

Treatment of the disease primarily depends on its form, and there are two of them: acute and chronic.
Treatment time depending on the form of gastritis

Acute form	Chronic form
Duration of treatment	14-21 days	Cannot be completely cured
Relapse of the disease	7 days	21-37 days

The indicated periods are average, but it should be understood that the period of elimination of the disease also depends on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body. For some, 2-3 weeks are enough to cope with symptoms and normalize stomach function, while others have to go on a diet and take medications for several months. The effectiveness of drug therapy is largely determined by the type of pathology and characteristics of the body.

If chronic gastritis is detected early, the duration of measures to get rid of the disease can be up to 2 years

The chronic form cannot be completely cured. The maximum that can be done is to undergo the necessary procedures that allow the disease to go into remission. If chronic gastritis is detected early, the duration of measures to get rid of the disease can be up to 2 years.

How long the therapy will last depends on how closely the person follows the instructions prescribed by the doctor. If the recommendations are not fully followed, treatment will take much longer than with a responsible approach to the matter.

Reasons for long-term treatment of gastritis:

Tobacco smoke: Smoking greatly interferes with treatment. Many people have this bad habit. Statistics show that about 60% of patients who have this pathology smoke cigarettes on a regular basis;
alcohol-containing drinks: but not only tobacco smoke slows down treatment. Alcoholic drinks, or more precisely, the ethyl alcohol included in their composition, have an even more negative effect on the condition of the digestive sac;
joint consumption of alcohol and medications: alcohol should not be consumed together with the vast majority of medications;
non-compliance with diet rules: diet is the main condition for a favorable outcome of the disease.

To eliminate the problem as quickly as the body allows, you must follow all the doctor’s instructions.

To eliminate the problem as quickly as the body allows, you need to follow all the doctor’s instructions. First of all, it is necessary to take prescribed medications exactly by the hour.

Secondly, you need to follow a diet. It is important not to skip meals. Yes, with gastritis you have to eat relatively often - 5-6 times a day, but this rule must be followed. Nutrients must be constantly supplied to the body and the digestive sac must be gently stimulated.

When treating gastritis, it is extremely important to use only approved products; the products themselves and dishes made from them must be fresh.

However, you should not completely replace drug therapy with treatment with folk remedies - the health situation will most likely only get worse. The fact is that traditional drugs have an insufficient effect for recovery, which is why the disease will continue to progress, albeit at a slightly slower pace.

It is important to spend as much time as possible in the fresh air. It is in the fresh air, away from the exhaust pipes of cars, since toxins, which are present in abundance in polluted city air, have a bad effect on the condition of the body as a whole. Therefore, it is better to get out into nature - into the forest or at least into the park.

Light therapy has a very positive effect on recovery. Ultraviolet light, coming into contact with the skin, stimulates certain processes, which accelerates not only the healing of gastritis, but also improves overall well-being. Stress is one of the reasons that can cause gastritis. If a person is often nervous, then malfunctions occur in many systems, including the gastrointestinal tract. In cases where the pathology is already developed, stress significantly slows down its elimination.

The indicated periods are average, but it should be understood that the period of elimination of the disease also depends on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body. For some, 2-3 weeks are enough to cope with the symptoms and normalize the functioning of the stomach, while others have to go on a diet and take medications for several months just to heal gastritis.

Note to the patient. What is important to remember when treating gastritis

Following all these recommendations will allow you to cope with the disease as quickly as possible. However, there are several nuances here. Firstly, in the presence of chronic gastritis, improvement occurs within a few weeks. In this regard, people who feel better feel almost healthy and begin to do things that they shouldn’t. For example, they break the diet rules or allow themselves a glass of wine. However, this should absolutely not be done.

Therapy for chronic gastritis (which occurs for the first time) at best takes at least a year. Therefore, if the rules of treatment are violated, a few weeks after the start of treatment, there is a sharp return of all the symptoms that were present at the very beginning.

Cured acute gastritis or remission of chronic gastritis is not a reason to return to the lifestyle that existed before the onset of the disease. If the pathology has already developed once, then in the presence of factors similar to those that provoked it, it will return again. As a result, you will have to sit on pills again for several months and limit yourself in food.

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Reasons for long-term treatment of gastritis

How long the therapy will last depends on how closely the person follows the instructions prescribed by the doctor. If the recommendations are not fully followed, treatment of gastritis will take much longer than with a responsible approach to the matter.

Tobacco smoke

Smoking greatly interferes with treatment. Many people have this bad habit. Statistics show that about 60% of gastroenterology patients smoke cigarettes on a regular basis.

The reason why smoking slows down the healing of gastritis is due to several things. Firstly, nicotine, regularly entering the body, leads to a significant narrowing of blood vessels. Because of this, blood circulation is disrupted, which means oxygen supply to cells deteriorates. It, in turn, is essential for cell renewal. With a lack of oxygen, tissue regeneration processes slow down, including scarring of ulcers formed on the mucous membrane.

Secondly, when you inhale cigarette smoke, some of the substances present in it settle in the oral cavity. Subsequently, they are swallowed along with saliva and enter the stomach, thereby causing an increase in the level of acidity of gastric juice (the body's response to an irritating factor).

Alcohol should not be consumed in combination with the vast majority of medications.

For gastritis, many drugs can be prescribed, including: antispasmodics and antibiotics, which lose their effectiveness when they interact with alcohol - it simply dissolves them. Therefore, drinking during the treatment of this pathology, and, in fact, as well as after, is highly not recommended.

A person who has been diagnosed with a corresponding illness must refuse:

fried foods, including barbecue;
any smoked meats;
any canned or pickled foods;
fast food;
sodas;
very fatty food.

Such food leads to an increase in pH, which means it creates fertile ground for the active reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. Even drug therapy will be powerless if the patient cannot completely refuse the above food. If the pathology is chronic, then, in turn, even a small piece of fried meat can cause a relapse, which was once achieved by a strict diet and a large number of pharmacological drugs.

According to statistics, half of a gastroenterologist’s patients during drug treatment from time to time abuse everything, which significantly impedes rapid therapy. They rely on pills, which by and large can only work effectively if a person has eliminated the cause of what caused the pathology.

How and with what to treat gastritis of the stomach

Gastritis is a common gastric disease caused by inflammation of the inner mucous membrane.
Such inflammation usually leads to disruption of the entire gastrointestinal tract. Chronic gastritis of the stomach is characterized by constant inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Gastritis is characterized by pain, heartburn, belching, a feeling of heaviness in the stomach after eating

At first, the disease may occur with various secretory accompaniments, although more often there is a tendency towards a decrease in secretion and the level of acidity of gastric secretions. Gastritis of the stomach with normal or increased secretion is often superficial or without atrophy of the gastric glands. It occurs most often in young men. It is characterized by gastritis pain, heartburn, belching, and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach after eating.

How does chronic gastritis hurt:

feeling of pressure and fullness in the stomach after eating;
severe heartburn; nausea and vomiting;
dull pain with gastritis;
unpleasant taste in the mouth; pain on palpation.

The nature of pain in gastritis allows us to identify important diagnostic differences with hepatic colic. Stomach pain rarely begins completely suddenly. They reach their greatest intensity within 10 minutes, and sometimes slower, while during gallstone disease the pain often reaches its highest level after just a couple of minutes.

Regular morning or evening pain in the upper abdomen, even in the absence of known clinical symptoms, is regarded as a duodenal ulcer or without an ulcer. In contrast, with gastritis, pain is prolonged throughout the day, and late or early pain can also be superimposed on it.

With gastritis, pain in the abdomen can be of a different nature. In such a situation, you can calm the pain in a simple way - just lie on your side. In this position, you need to tuck your legs towards your stomach and place a cold heating pad on the epigastric region. In order to completely get rid of discomfort, experts recommend taking a No-shpa tablet.

In a situation where the patient is constantly bothered by abdominal pain due to gastritis, it is necessary to use an antacid drug. If such a remedy is not available, you can take a regular soda solution by first dissolving a teaspoon of this substance in 200 ml of warm water.

If gastritis hurts, you should use either medications or traditional methods

If your stomach hurts, you should use either medications or traditional methods. For example, a collection of chamomile and St. John's wort flowers will help cope with pain. Also very effective in this case are honey with milk, tincture with aloe, banana infusion and milk with the addition of chamomile.

To relieve the pain of gastritis, you should use the following tablets: Almagel, Gastal or Maalox. De-nol and Anacid can also easily cope with gastritis. Sometimes, in order to alleviate the patient’s condition, it will be enough to hold a heating pad or a bottle of warm water on the stomach.

At home, you can quickly relieve pain using the following methods:

to prevent exacerbation of gastritis, it is recommended not to self-medicate with medications such as Aspirin, Analgin and other analgesics;
you will have to reconsider your diet in order to prevent hunger pains and mitigate the effect of acid on the stomach;
It is recommended to use folk remedies for stomach pain in the form of decoctions, infusions and warm compresses. Take medications prescribed by your doctor in a timely manner.

The fact that gastritis can cause a headache is not obvious at first glance. But, nevertheless, headaches, dizziness and nausea with gastritis occur quite often.

Depending on the cause, the headache will vary in nature and may require different medications to relieve it. Painkillers may help in one case, but not provide relief in another. Before taking pills, you need to figure out what is causing your headache.

This condition can cause hunger pain in the stomach. In a patient with gastritis, when the stomach is empty, gastric juice comes into contact with the inflamed gastric mucosa, causing severe pain in the epigastric region. If food does not enter the stomach, these pains may begin to radiate to neighboring parts of the abdomen.

Reflex pains have several characteristic signs: with gastritis, headache on an empty stomach, especially if there are long breaks between meals

Constant irritation of the vagus nerve, which plays an important role in the irradiation of pain to other areas, can also lead to headaches. These pains have several characteristic signs: a headache on an empty stomach, especially if there are long breaks between meals; Along with the headache, nausea and sometimes the urge to vomit appear.

The patient may become irritable, picky, capricious, he will constantly complain that he has a headache, everything is falling out of his hands, the behavior of others irritates him. All these symptoms are pronounced when he is hungry and recede when the patient is full.

Unlike reflex pains, with astheno-vegetative syndrome, the headache occurs regardless of food intake; pain often develops in the evening or during heavy exertion.

Sometimes a headache can become the leading symptom of gastritis, which significantly complicates diagnosis - it is very difficult to suspect a stomach disease based on the fact that the patient constantly has a headache. Nausea can develop as a consequence of a headache if it is not relieved for a long time.

The cause of intoxication in gastritis is the incorrect use of medications; the headache often hurts immediately after taking the medication or within half an hour after it.

Intoxication with gastritis can be caused by various reasons. It is caused by bacterial toxins, primarily Helicobacter (a common cause of gastritis, the only bacterium that can live in the acidic environment of the stomach). Constantly getting into the blood, these substances contribute to the development of astheno-vegetative syndrome and themselves cause poisoning.

As a result, headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness appear, and stool disorders may occur. In such cases, as with asthenic pain, the head hurts constantly, regardless of food intake and time of day, the patient constantly feels unwell, experiences malaise and weakness.

After vomiting, the patient's condition usually improves. A more rare cause of drug intoxication is an allergy to the components of the drug. In this case, the headache is necessarily accompanied by nausea, weakness, skin rashes, swelling, and in rare cases, dangerous manifestations that threaten life.

If the stomach hurts due to gastritis, then a person can feel it as pain of a different nature.

Most often, the signs of gastritis (where the stomach hurts) manifest themselves as follows:

acute pain in the solar plexus area;
hunger pain (pain in the epigastric region before eating);
bursting sensations after eating;
aching or dull pain;
radiating to areas not associated with the stomach (in the lumbar region, lower abdomen).

Autoimmune gastritis manifests itself in the form of atrophy of the mucous membrane. As a result, the production of gastric juice is disrupted, and the acidity of the digestive environment decreases. The nature of pain in gastritis with low acidity is dull and bursting. Painful sensations occur a short time after eating.

If the stomach hurts due to gastritis, then a person may feel it as pain of a different nature

What kind of pain with gastritis can occur if the acidity of gastric juice is increased? High acidity occurs as a result of hypertrophic changes in the mucous membrane due to infection with Helicobacter. With gastritis of the stomach, in this case, aching pain may appear (with a chronic course). Exacerbation of the process is characterized by stabbing and cramping pain. Most often they radiate to the lower abdomen and along the intestinal tract, resembling cramps during diarrhea.

Helicobacter pylori gastritis is accompanied by symptoms of heartburn and sour belching. Due to irritation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, the patient may feel that the throat hurts or burns behind the sternum. With constant constipation that accompanies this type of inflammation of the stomach, endogenous intoxication of the body with gases accumulating in the intestines can occur. The patient complains of a headache, increased fatigue and irritability.

In acute gastritis, caused by exposure to a foreign body or chemical substance, severe abdominal pain occurs, often of an acute or cutting nature. They are accompanied by a burning sensation in the epigastric region and persistent vomiting. With toxic infections (mushroom poisoning, salmonellosis, etc.), body temperature may rise, diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes with blood, may appear.

What speeds up the treatment process

Thirdly, in parallel with traditional therapy, it is necessary to carry out treatment with folk remedies. Infusions and decoctions stimulate regeneration well and help eliminate inflammatory processes. However, you should not completely replace drug therapy with treatment with folk remedies - the health situation will most likely only get worse.

Light therapy has a very positive effect on recovery. Ultraviolet light, coming into contact with the skin, stimulates certain processes, which accelerates not only the healing of gastritis, but also improves overall well-being.

Stress is one of the reasons that can cause gastritis. If a person is often nervous, then malfunctions occur in many systems, including the gastrointestinal tract. In cases where the pathology is already developed, stress significantly slows down its elimination.