Erosive gastritis, a disease that is quite common today, occurs with damage to the gastric mucosa, when single and sometimes multiple surface defects form on it. In simple terms, shallow wounds appear on the outer layer.
The main mechanism for the development of erosive gastritis is a decrease in the protective level of the mucous membrane, which is aggravated by the aggressive action of food.
Other factors that trigger the onset of the disease are smoking, regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, irregular and inadequate nutrition, prolonged stress, and a genetic predisposition, especially actively transmitted through the paternal side. No less dangerous are circumstances such as prolonged or uncontrolled use of certain medications - aspirin, indomethacin, etc.
Another reason for the occurrence of this disease is the haste in eating and poor chewing, eating too hot or too cold food, as well as spicy or very salty foods that irritate the gastric mucosa.
Erosive gastritis is acute, which is manifested by superficial damage to the mucous membrane, and chronic, characterized by numerous wounds at different stages of healing.
What are the symptoms of erosive gastritis?
With an exacerbation of this disease or against the background of an acute attack, the patient usually feels acute and intense pain, which has a clear connection with food intake, in the region of the epigastric region. Most often, it intensifies immediately after eating, especially if it included acidic or spicy foods. Sometimes there is also heartburn of varying strength.
The chronic version of this disease - erosive gastritis - is especially intensified in spring or autumn.
At the first manifestations of such symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. The final diagnosis will be made by the doctor, but only after an endoscopic examination, in particular by swallowing a probe that will accurately determine the presence of erosive gastritis, localization and the affected surface.
Since erosion is usually considered the initial stage of a stomach ulcer, treatment with this type of gastritis is very reminiscent of the whole complex of measures that is prescribed by a doctor for peptic ulcer.
How is erosive gastritis treated?
The main emphasis in the treatment of erosive gastritis is on the normalization of nutrition, rationing the diet. The diet prescribed for this disease should be very sparing. When exacerbating the course of gastritis, doctors recommend eating only boiled and stewed foods with a minimum content of any irritating foods. Any drinks containing alcohol, as well as strong tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, are completely excluded. It is not recommended to use strong broths, herbs, certain juices, for example, squeezed from citrus, raw fruits and vegetables.
Drug treatment of erosive gastritis is prescribed depending on what level of acidity is determined at this moment in the stomach, whether the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is present, at what stage the disease is, etc.
Usually in the treatment of a disease called erosive gastritis, an antibiotic is used that can affect the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, drugs to regulate acidity, as well as those that can quickly restore the mucous membrane.
The patient should know that all the medicines prescribed by the doctor should be taken for a sufficiently long time. Reception should take place according to a special individual scheme, which will be compiled by a doctor.
Despite the fact that the healing process lasts only a few days, the mucous membrane is restored long enough, restoring all its protective factors.
And even after all the violated functions are restored, you can not immediately switch to free food, eating absolutely everything that you want. Adhere to a gentle regime for a certain time, it is necessary that the erosive gastritis does not return.