Everyone will agree that today the environmental situation leaves much to be desired. In addition, people are forced to purchase low-quality food, many lead a sedentary lifestyle and are more and more in a sitting position. All this provokes the occurrence of certain pathologies.
Chronic gastritis, the diagnosis of which has been dealt with for many years, is one of the ailments from which a large number of people suffer today. This pathology is an inflammatory process that occurs in the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.
With gastritis, severity and pain in the stomach appear. Such symptoms, as a rule, worsen after eating. In addition to pain, a person may suffer from poor appetite, belching, nausea, vomiting, and frequent heartburn. Patients complain of constant fatigue and a general deterioration in well-being.
If you do not timely conduct a high-quality diagnosis of chronic gastritis, then you can get a number of additional diseases. Therefore, we consider in more detail this pathology, its manifestations and possible methods of treatment.
What is chronic gastritis?
If we consider gastritis as a whole, we can say that this is an inflammatory process on the inner walls of the stomach. They have fairly smooth muscles, but they can weaken. In this case, the protective cover, which is a mucus, will begin to be damaged. This will lead to the fact that gastric juices, which are digestive acids, begin to damage the walls of the stomach and initiate inflammatory processes.
Gastritis can also be triggered by infectious diseases. In rare situations, the individual characteristics of the body are diagnosed. For example, a person may simply not tolerate certain types of food.
This pathology goes into the chronic stage at the moment when inflammatory processes on the surfaces of the stomach begin to occur constantly. Also, at this stage, pathology is observed if the patient complains of symptoms of the same type for quite some time.
Before you consider the features of the diagnosis of chronic gastritis, it will be useful to find out the main causes of its appearance.
Helicobacter pylori
Doctors often diagnose the appearance of an ailment against the background of the activity of this bacterium, which, according to recent studies, has infected almost 50% of all people on earth. It was first discovered back in 1982. This bacterium can also provoke peptic ulcer, adenocarcinoma and stomach lymphoma. Once in the human body, Helicobacter pylori passes freely through the digestive system. Acid has absolutely no effect on it. After that, it can calmly penetrate the protective mucous membranes and reach the cells of the epithelium of the stomach. After that, the bacterium settles there.
Helicobacter pylori waste products provoke intense inflammatory processes. However, doctors have many questions about the fact that this bacterium struck a large number of people, but the diagnosis of chronic gastritis gives a positive result only in a small number of patients.
This is due to the fact that some people are simply at the genetic level vulnerable to the activity of helicobacter.
Parasitic infections
Chronic gastritis often becomes the cause of the life of parasites. For example, patients suffering from such a pathology are diagnosed with the presence of nematode worms. As a rule, they most often prefer the digestive tracts of marine animals. However, if a person eats unprocessed fish, then he can get such illegal residents and at home. Therefore, doctors strongly recommend that all marine products be cooked well.
Infectious diseases
It is worth noting that the development of gastritis against the background of such pathologies is extremely rare. As a rule, this happens only after serious illness. For example, tuberculosis can provoke a chronic stage of the described disease.
In the process of developing this disease, granulomas form on the inner walls of the stomach. They are white, curdled type of fabric that has already died out.
Noncommunicable diseases
In this case, there are several pathologies that can trigger the development of the chronic stage of gastritis. First of all, these include autoimmune diseases. In some of them, cell lymphocytes begin to attack the mucous membrane of the walls of the stomach. However, this pathology occurs only if a person has a predisposition to disorders of the autoimmune type or if he suffers from the first type of diabetes.
Gastritis of a chronic type can also develop after taking some potent drugs. Especially when it comes to the long-term use of analgesics. Aspirin, Ibuprofen and other drugs can suppress the process of secretion of gastric mucus. As a result, gastric juice begins to literally corrode the walls of this organ.
A negligent attitude to your health can also provoke an ailment. For example, most often chronic gastritis occurs in those who often consume alcohol and smoke.
Methods for the diagnosis of chronic gastritis
Since a large number of patients suffer from this ailment, doctors have developed a wide variety of methods for determining the disease. An integrated approach to diagnostic measures is also explained by the fact that chronic gastritis can develop against the background of a multitude of unrelated diseases. Therefore, it is important to correctly assess the patient's condition in order to establish the exact cause of the pathology.
Physical examination
Crucial in the diagnosis of chronic gastritis is the accurate determination of the factors that led to this ailment. Therefore, the very first thing that a doctor does is an external examination of the patient. However, many modern experts note that this method is practically ineffective. Therefore, in this case, even nursing diagnosis in chronic gastritis is allowed. A nurse or nurse palpates. In the course of it, there is little chance of revealing signs of a bacterial lesion. Tense walls of the stomach will testify to this. Also, the patient's abdominal cavity can be quite swollen. If this is noticed, then additional tests are carried out. Laboratory studies are a more accurate method for diagnosing chronic gastritis in children and adults.
Helicobacter pylori test
If there is a suspicion that the patient is suffering from the activity of this bacterium, then you should first take feces for sowing. Special breathing tests are also performed. For this, the patient must drink a special liquid in which the radioactive element is located.
After a few minutes, the doctor offers the patient to inhale fully and exhale, while pressing a dense packet to his lips. This can also be done with the participation of a nurse in the diagnosis of chronic gastritis. If the described bacterium conducts active life in the patient’s body, then there will be traces of a radioactive substance on the packet.
Endoscopy
This is one of the most common methods for diagnosing chronic gastritis. In this case, the doctor conducts a study of the upper region of the digestive tract. For this, a special device is used - an endoscope. It is a long flexible tube, at the end of which is a tiny chamber. The doctor and nurse carefully insert the endoscope into the patient's throat, reach the esophagus, stomach and, if necessary, the small intestine.
Thanks to this, a specialist can exclude a large number of diseases with similar symptoms. Thus, the differential diagnosis of chronic gastritis in children and adults is also performed. This helps to exclude peptic ulcer, hernia and more. The doctor carefully examines the state of the stomach from the inside. Not a single shot will allow you to get such a clear picture, like a similar differential. diagnosis of chronic gastritis.
During the study, the doctor may even take tissue samples. For example, if he notices that some area looks too suspicious, then he can pinch off a small piece of material. The tissue thus obtained is sent to the laboratory diagnosis of chronic gastritis. This procedure also has its name - biopsy. Thus, in the process of one study, you can get comprehensive information and perform two manipulations at once. However, you need to understand that such a differential diagnosis of chronic gastritis is an unpleasant procedure. It is especially difficult to transfer it to children. But despite this, you need to overpower yourself, since after such a study you can get the most accurate diagnosis.
X-ray examination
A similar procedure is also called barium test. In this case, the patient will again have to drink a liquid with a radioactive component. Only this time you do not need to exhale in the package. Instead, an X-ray of the stomach, small intestine, and other areas that will cause the most questions from the doctor will be performed. Barium (a radioactive substance) is used to make the picture with high contrast. This will allow you to see even barely noticeable lesions.
Do not worry that a radioactive substance will enter the body. It is displayed very quickly, and its volume is so insignificant that it can do absolutely no harm. Therefore, do not worry about this.
Also considering the diagnosis and treatment of chronic gastritis, it is worth saying a few words about other activities that can be carried out to identify this pathology.
Intragastric pH
This study is necessary in order to assess the level of acidity in the stomach. After all, it is these indicators that show the activity of enzymes and hydrochloric acid. If a person has a deficiency or, conversely, too much HCI, then this leads to numerous problems with the digestive system. An excess of these components provokes irritation of the mucous membrane. If the level of HCI is too low, the so-called food lump cannot undergo a full-fledged treatment.
A special probe is used to perform this study. Often the procedure is carried out in the process of gastroscopy, since with the help of an endoscope it becomes possible to obtain all the necessary fences and data.
IEF
When considering the diagnosis and treatment of chronic gastritis, it is also worth paying attention to this method of assessing the condition of patients. The motor-evacuation functions of the stomach are responsible for its ability to push food. In this case, the body makes reductions.
For the study, a pressure measurement in the digestive tract is performed. The doctor introduces a special capsule with a microscopic sensor into the patient’s gastrointestinal tract. As soon as it comes into contact with the gastric mucosa, artificial muscle contraction is provoked.
Additionally, other procedures can be performed. However, the methods described above provide comprehensive data.
Treatment
If we talk about therapeutic measures, then they should primarily be aimed at getting rid of the primary pathology that caused complications in the form of this unpleasant disease. After the diagnosis of chronic gastritis, treatment in the clinic is expected only in the most difficult situations. As a rule, the patient can undergo a course of therapy at home, taking the prescribed medications. As a rule, it is not enough just to get all the necessary medicines. Additionally, you will have to adhere to the strictest diet. The menu is developed by a doctor, and the patient must strictly follow all the recommendations of a specialist.
If we talk about drugs that can alleviate the condition of the patient, then their harm should be highlighted:
- Antibiotics. As a rule, they are used if it was established that gastritis in a chronic form appeared against the background of the activity of Helicobacter pylori. This is a very strong bacterium, so often only one drug is missing and a group of drugs is required. Otherwise, recovery is out of the question. The course of antibiotic treatment usually does not exceed two weeks.
- Medications for regulating acidity. These include inhibitors that can inhibit the performance of cells that secrete too much acid. H2 blockers may also be used. However, taking these drugs for too long is dangerous, as they make bones more fragile. There is a risk of fracture. To prevent this from happening, the doctor may prescribe calcium or other means to strengthen the bones.
- Antacids. Often, even with chronic gastritis, periods of exacerbation can occur. In such situations, fast-acting drugs are required that can relieve pain and other symptoms of the disease. Antacids promptly have a neutralizing effect on the acid in the stomach, which greatly facilitates pain. However, when taking such medicines, a side effect may appear in the form of constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
Considering the etiology, pathogenesis, clinic, diagnosis and treatment of chronic gastritis, it is worth noting that surgical intervention with this pathology is required only in the most advanced and severe cases. In such a situation, the doctor performs an operation during which the affected and non-recoverable tissue site is removed. However, doctors more often prefer conservative treatment.
If we talk about the methods of traditional medicine, then such treatment is allowed, but not as the main therapeutic measures. It is also necessary to coordinate this issue with the attending physician, as some procedures can harm the patient. For example, you should not engage in heating if inflammatory processes occur in the body. Since we are talking about irritated walls of the stomach, it is important to understand that some products can only aggravate the situation. In folk medicine, garlic, pepper, onion and other irritants are often used. Therefore, do not risk it. Even if the product is used as a treatment, it should not be included in the list of those things that are categorically not to be accepted by the patient. An exact list of prohibited products is also developed by a doctor who makes a diet and monitors the patient's condition.
Features of Nursing Care
In the process of treating this ailment, junior medical staff is also very involved. Nurses ensure that the patient adheres to all recommendations regarding proper nutrition and diets. They also explain to patients how and why dietary nutrition is so important for such ailments. Nurses help with diagnostic procedures. If the patient is in the hospital, then they also control the food brought by the patient's relatives. If necessary, they announce the list of allowed dishes.