The stomach is a hollow muscle organ that performs an important function in the body related to digestion. The process of digesting food is quite complicated, so any disease of the stomach and duodenum can adversely affect the work of the whole organism and give serious failures in other systems. In the digestive chain, this organ takes the second place, while special enzymes and acids are secreted in it.
The causes of stomach diseases are negative external influences on the body. These include:
- stressful situations affecting a decrease in the formation of gastric juice;
- nervous breakdowns, which can cause a deterioration in appetite and even anorexia;
- poor nutrition, abuse of diets;
- poisoning with toxic substances.
There are other causes of stomach ailments. Symptoms and treatment depend on the type of disease. Most often, the patient's complaints are cramping pains, frequent bouts of nausea, heartburn and a burning sensation in the throat caused by an increased level of acidity in the stomach.
The main diseases of the stomach
Almost every person has diseases of the stomach and duodenum. They have various degrees of development and severity. Nutritionists say that a person’s lifestyle, tastes and habits are reflected in the health of the stomach. Some diseases develop slowly, while others arise abruptly, suddenly and rapidly. Sometimes signs of gastric ailments develop so rapidly that the patient needs urgent hospitalization.
The main symptoms of gastric diseases include pain in the hypochondrium on the right side, which intensifies with eating or, conversely, when the patient is hungry. With more complex forms, the pain acquires a constant aching character with paroxysmal outbreaks. Self-medication only aggravates the inflammatory process and contributes to the development of more serious types of stomach disease. Symptoms, treatment for each type of disease have their own characteristics. For example, with an ulcer, a characteristic symptom is belching with a sour smell, and for gastritis, the appearance of heartburn is more characteristic. Sometimes, diseases cause stomach bleeding, and meals can be accompanied by sudden bouts of vomiting. Treatment of stomach ailments depends on the severity of the patient's condition, the nature of the disease and its clinical manifestations.
Gastritis
Gastritis is called inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which occurs due to exposure to bacteria, malnutrition, alcoholism, as well as abuse of diets and starvation (especially snacking on sandwiches and dry food), spices and spicy foods. The most common symptoms of this disease of the stomach (treatment and signs of gastritis depend on the causes that cause it) are characterized by increased acidity, heartburn, and sore throat when swallowing. In addition, intestinal upset also refers to signs of gastritis : constipation or, conversely, diarrhea. If the cause of gastritis is pathogenic bacteria, then it progresses rather quickly, erosion and destruction of the walls of the gastric muscle are noted.
In addition, the cause may be an acute autoimmune process, when the body perceives its own stomach as something foreign. Antibodies produced by the body begin to attack it and corrode the walls and mucous membranes. During the treatment of the disease, it is important to take medications only after eating, when gastric juice is developed. In this case, the patient must be prescribed a diet for stomach disease, which completely eliminates the use of alcohol, spicy, spicy and fatty foods. Diagnosis is by endoscopy.
Peptic ulcer: symptoms, treatment
Destruction of the walls of the stomach leads to peptic ulcer disease, which is characterized by an increased amount of acid and bile produced. Ulcers can be either single or multiple. The causes of the disease are the following factors:
- improper nutrition (dry food snacks, lack of first courses in the diet);
- alcohol, smoking;
- taking certain medications;
- stresses, nervous shocks;
- violation of the regime of work and rest.
The main sign of gastric ulcer is a violent burping with a characteristic acidic odor. Other symptoms include nausea, hypochondrium pain, loss of appetite, and sudden weight loss. Complications of gastric ulcer are the risk of gastric bleeding, perforation or penetration of the stomach, as well as the development of pyloric stenosis. Treatment of both peptic ulcer and its complications is mainly carried out surgically.
Complications of peptic ulcer
Untimely or inadequate treatment of an ulcer can lead to some complications of the disease. The most common include the above - perforation, penetration, bleeding and pyloric stenosis.
Ulcerative bleeding is characterized by bloody vomiting and the presence of blood in the stool. If the ulcer is localized above the Treitz ligament, then the patient often has vomiting, if lower, then black (bloody) stool. Moreover, the patient rapidly decreases hemoglobin. First aid at home involves washing the stomach with cold water and applying an ice pack to the stomach. Medication includes the use of H2 blockers, Novocain and Adrenaline, liquid fibrinogen, Secretin and other medicines. In complex cases, surgery is performed.
Perforation of a stomach ulcer is a serious complication. Symptoms include acute “dagger” pain, muscle tension in the anterior abdominal wall, bradycardia, epigastrium, pallor of the skin, positive Shchetkin-Blumberg syndrome. 5-8 hours after perforation, a stomach ulcer disease can acquire another form of complication - peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum). Characteristic signs of this patient condition include a filamentous rapid pulse, hypotension, dynamic intestinal obstruction, fever and leukocytosis. Later, flatulence, retention of urine, stool are added to the symptoms, in more rare cases, vomiting occurs. Laparoscopy can be used to treat perforated ulcers.
Penetration is the spread of an ulcer into the tissues surrounding the stomach. At the same time, several stages of a similar complication of gastric ulcer are distinguished:
- necrosis through all layers of the hollow organ and duodenum;
- fibrous fusion with organs adjacent to the stomach or duodenum;
- penetration of ulcers into the tissues of adjacent organs.
A diagnosis is made using an x-ray or endoscope, which is typical for any stomach disease. Symptoms and treatment are closely related. The clinical picture is caused by intense pain of a constant nature, nausea and vomiting, which tend to intensify. Symptoms of the inflammatory process also appear: a high level of ROE, leukocytosis, and low-grade fever. Treatment is usually surgical.
Pyloric stenosis refers to the localization of an ulcer in the duodenum and pyloric canal. Violation of patency is exacerbated by inflammation and spasm of the pylorus. A similar complication is one of the most severe forms of stomach disease. Symptoms and treatment of this type of peptic ulcer depend on whether the process is recurring. With relapse, the patient has a bursting sensation in the epigastric region, nausea, bouts of vomiting, a sharp decrease in weight. Treatment in this case is always only surgical.
Gastric adenocarcinoma or glandular cancer
Adenocarcinoma in medical practice is quite common. As a rule, the tumor is localized in the antrum or pyloric stomach. The most common cause of the disease is excessive consumption of foods with high nitrite content.
At an early stage of the course, adenocarcinoma is manifested by nausea, heaviness in the stomach, lack of appetite and rapid weight loss, indigestion. Immediately after taking a small amount of food, the patient has a bursting sensation in the place of the solar plexus, which indicates the presence of an intra-wall tumor. With oncology of the cardinal department, food is not passed into the duodenum, which is accompanied by vomiting. Launched cases of cancer are accompanied by pain in the epigastric region, with the decay of the tumor, internal bleeding occurs, which is detected by the presence of blood in the feces, bloody vomiting. Oncological diseases of the stomach are treated surgically totally (resection of the entire stomach) and subtotally (resection of its part).
Bulbitis of the stomach
Pain in the stomach always means the presence of any pathology. A feeling of heaviness, heartburn, nausea are considered signs of gastritis. Usually the patient takes medications on his own, which “suppress” the symptoms, but do not treat the disease itself. The aggravation of gastritis extends to the duodenum and is called bulbitis.
Bulbitis is catarrhal and erosive and is a type of inflammatory disease of the stomach. Symptoms, treatment of such an ailment are repeatedly described in the specialized literature. The disease is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, severe pain, a feeling of bitterness in the mouth. Pain sensations falsely resemble attacks of pancreatitis.
Antacids, such as Gastal, Almagel A, will help relieve pain. They are able to neutralize the destructive effect of ejected bile and acid, and the main method of treatment is a diet for stomach disease. During an exacerbation of the disease, you should immediately stop taking all medications, stop smoking, coffee, alcohol. Starvation, abuse of diets for weight loss, as well as the intake of dietary supplements are strictly prohibited.
Erosion of the stomach
The gastric environment is very important for the proper functioning of the body. But by its nature and chemical composition, it is quite aggressive, with the slightest failure in the body, it causes serious damage to human health. The main task of gastric juice is to break down and digest food, the quality of which, unfortunately, often leaves much to be desired. As a result of such contact, irritation of the gastric mucosa often occurs and single or multiple erosions or ulcers appear.
The causes of erosion include the following negative factors:
- poor irregular nutrition;
- chronic diseases of the stomach;
- nervous disorders, stress and more.
Such pathologies are divided into three groups:
- primary erosion;
- secondary erosion;
- oncology.
Moreover, in the form of the disease, it can be both acute and chronic. Symptoms of erosion are typical for all diseases of the stomach, but there is a very high risk of it becoming ulcerative. The treatment of erosive phenomena takes a lot of time and depends on many different factors. The nature of the pathology, the root cause of the disease and so on are taken into account. Antibacterial therapy is ineffective with erosion of the stomach and is used only if the disease is caused by an infection. Drug therapy is necessarily supported by a strict diet, especially if the stomach hurts. Diseases, the symptoms of which are characterized by nausea and vomiting, are not recommended to be treated with medications, as some of them are able to further destroy the inflamed walls of the organ.
Gastric carcinoma
Carcinoma of the stomach is a malignant formation that occurs due to many provoking factors. The risk group most often includes male patients older than 40 years who have a history of polyps in the stomach, peptic ulcer disease and chronic gastritis. An abuse of products with carcinogens, as well as alcohol and smoking can provoke the disease. Excessive salt intake also causes pathological inflammation of the mucous membranes. Equally important is the hereditary factor.
Symptoms of carcinoma consist of increased fatigue of the patient, apathy, lack of appetite and aversion to certain foods. A person quickly loses weight, weakens, he is constantly tormented by heaviness in the stomach, there is sudden vomiting. A blood test shows increased leukocytosis, the content of myelocytes and myeloblasts. For diagnosis, x-rays, ultrasound, tomography and biopsy of the stomach are used. Treatment is carried out medically and surgically. Conservative medicine involves the use of painkillers and antiemetics, vitamins and anticancer agents.
Prevention of a stomach ulcer of this type consists in observing a diet, avoiding stress and nervous shocks, refusing low-quality alcohol products, smoking and other bad habits.
The feasibility of alternative treatment of peptic ulcer
Many people are afraid of surgical procedures when their stomach hurts. Diseases whose symptoms have been discussed above can be treated with alternative medicine methods. Additional alternative treatments, selected with your healthcare provider, can provide the patient with symptom relief and reduced mucosal inflammation. Unfortunately, with the help of alternative therapy, not all stomach diseases can be defeated. Symptoms and treatment with folk remedies of any disease must be discussed with a doctor, because sometimes such therapy can not only be irrational, but can also significantly harm the patient. For example, oncological diseases, as well as perforation, peritonitis, perforation and other severe forms require immediate surgical intervention. Any postponement of the operation is fatal for the patient.
Other types of gastric ulcer, symptoms whose treatment with folk remedies were discussed with the doctor, may well recede with the use of various decoctions of medicinal plants. A good remedy is tincture of aconite root, celandine, potato flowers and calendula. Decoctions of strawberries, calamus, corn stigmas help relieve inflammation. Each patient is individually treated with folk remedies.
Ulcer Disease Prevention
Prevention of stomach diseases is an important component of the treatment process. The patient needs to eat properly, avoid salty, spicy, spices, completely abandon coffee, alcohol, and smoking. To control the symptoms of diseases, as well as prevent their appearance, you should eat often, in small portions. Skipping meals is highly undesirable, but overeating can lead to inflammation. Do not swallow food in large, poorly chewed pieces.
The treatment of diseases of the stomach is complex and at the risk of various complications. That is why it is better to take care of your health and avoid such problems. Prevention of gastric ulcer includes simple measures. You should try to avoid various stressful situations, practice relaxation methods, meditation, observe the regime of work and rest. Physical fitness is important. Simple exercise helps keep your muscles toned.