In the article, we consider the symptoms and treatment of atrophic gastritis in women and men.
Atrophic gastritis is a chronic form of inflammation of the stomach, which leads to the death of its parietal cells, as a result of which the secretion of hydrochloric acid decreases, an acute deficiency of vitamin B12 occurs and megaloblastic anemia develops.
Pathology Description
This type of gastritis leads to the fact that the mucous membrane of the organ that affects the disease begins to thin out sharply, and its glands atrophy. Atrophic gastritis is characterized by damage to the gastric fundus, after which the process of production of hydrochloric acid and a special substance, pepsinogen, which is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of food, is activated. Further, the process is only exacerbated, which manifests itself in the form of injury to the stomach by food that enters. The total area of atrophy depends on the degree of similar trauma.
This is one of the most dangerous types of chronic gastritis. If you do not conduct a comprehensive treatment of atrophic gastritis in time, it can quickly develop into a malignant tumor of the stomach.
Focal type of atrophic gastritis
This type of this disease manifests itself in the form of the formation of pathological foci of inflammation on the walls of the stomach, which is accompanied by a compensatory increase in the functions of those parts of the body that were not affected during the disease. Symptoms and treatment of focal atrophic gastritis are discussed below.
The mild forms of this type of gastritis may be accompanied by slight discomfort and pain in the epigastric region, as well as a burning sensation after eating. Nausea and a feeling of fullness of the stomach can appear not only after copious amounts of food, but even after a light snack.
Intense manifestations
If this symptomatology is ignored, the disease begins to intensively progress and manifests itself as follows:
- loss of appetite;
- heartburn phenomena;
- increased pain;
- sharp weight loss;
- general weakness appears and the temperature rises (subfebrile).
Very often, the development of a focal form of atrophic gastritis is accompanied by increased secretion of hydrochloric acid and increased acidity of the stomach.
The treatment of focal atrophic gastritis is of interest to many. About it further.
Antral form of the disease
This type of atrophic gastritis is characterized by the formation of atrophy in the antrum of the organ - at the place where the stomach begins to pass into the duodenum. In the bulk of cases, mucosal damage is observed first in this area, then it begins to spread to the rest of the stomach. The main symptoms of atrophic gastritis of the antrum, in which this department begins to deform and narrow, are:
- decreased or complete disappearance of appetite;
- belching with an unpleasant taste;
- bouts of nausea;
- the appearance of heartburn after eating;
- a feeling of severe overcrowding and heaviness in the stomach;
- stool changes - constipation, diarrhea;
- flatulence;
- intense pain in the stomach in the form of spasms that occur, as a rule, some time after eating;
- severe weakness and irritability.
Treatment of atrophic gastritis of the stomach should be timely.
Changes in the above section of the stomach help to stop the production of a certain amount of mucus, which, in turn, provokes an increase in acidity, which over time leads to the development of ulcerative organ damage. After scarring of ulcers, the pyloric section becomes narrower.
Treatment of atrophic gastritis in women and men should be carried out by a competent specialist.
The causes of the disease
Currently, the causes of the development of such a disease have not been fully explored, however, specialists in the field of medicine refer to the following series of putative factors that can cause a pathological process of a similar nature:
- Eating too sharp foods, as well as cold and too hot food. Insufficient chewing.
- Exposure to chemicals - when they enter the stomach when breathing alkali or acid vapors, active chemical reactions occur that damage the structure of the mucous membrane of this organ.
- Bad habits - alcohol abuse, smoking, drinking highly carbonated drinks, as well as coffee - can also lead to the development of such a disease.
- Medications - with prolonged use of certain medications, a violation of the structure and functions of the gastric mucosa can also develop.
- Reflux is a process characterized by throwing intestinal contents into the stomach. As a result of this, trauma to the mucous membrane occurs, which leads to the development of pathology in the form of atrophic gastritis.
Also, the occurrence of this form of the disease can result from infection with bacterial infections or the occurrence of autoimmune processes. In the first case, the disease occurs due to the ingestion of Helicobacter pylori microorganisms into the stomach. In the second case, the immune system malfunctions when the body produces pathological ones that perceive their own body as a stranger.
What is the danger?
The danger of atrophic gastritis is that its treatment does not guarantee full recovery and recovery of the patient. Gastroenterology regards this form of the disease as a precancerous condition. Atrophy of the mucosa, as well as endocrine glands, significantly weakens the immune system as a whole, when the body disrupts the production of natural immunoglobulin, and antibodies that usually fight foreign microorganisms destroy their cells. As a result of this process, people develop autoimmune diseases. Treatment of atrophic gastritis with folk remedies is presented below.
Symptomatology
It is generally accepted that at the initial stages of atrophic gastritis, the clinical picture does not have a particular severity and specific symptoms. Nevertheless, with the development of the disease at further stages, symptoms appear that make the specialist think about the pathological process in this organ, and not in any other.
Common symptoms of the disease in adulthood:
- loss of appetite;
- rumbling in the abdomen and heaviness after eating, severe bloating;
- belching with air, having an unpleasant smell of rotten eggs;
- violation of the stool;
- aching pains in the stomach;
- deficiency of vitamin B12 and iron;
- polished tongue;
- sweating, severe weakness, fatigue;
- weight loss.
Nature of pain
In some cases, there is a pronounced pain syndrome that occurs in the form of dull and aching pains characteristic after eating. Nevertheless, a distinctive feature of this variety of gastritis is that there may be no pain or it can manifest itself very weakly, imperceptibly for the patient. There is no acute pain with atrophic gastritis.
Over time, due to impaired absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract, patients may experience pallor of the skin due to the development of anemia. Vitamin A deficiency provokes visual impairment, and ascorbic acid deficiency often causes bleeding gums and fragility of the vascular wall, which further exacerbates the manifestations of anemia.
Before treating atrophic gastritis of the stomach, a comprehensive diagnosis is required.
Diagnostics
Diagnostic methods for determining this disease are based on analyzes and clinical manifestations of the disease, as well as data from endoscopic and histological studies, assessment of the functionality of the stomach and diagnosis of the infection itself that caused atrophic gastritis.
Functional diagnostics in this case includes:
- Measurement of the pH of the stomach, which helps to determine the secretory activity of parietal cells.
- Studying the functionality of enzymes and the general characteristics of gastric juice.
- The study of the motor functions of digestion obtained as a result of gastrography.
Daily pH-metry is considered the standard method for assessing the secretory functions of the stomach in the presence of this disease. It is carried out without fail, which is necessary to establish treatment tactics and prognosis for recovery. An examination of the mucous membrane for the presence of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is also mandatory. This study allows us to determine the causes of organ damage, since in most cases the main factor in the occurrence of atrophic gastritis is this infection.
So, what is the treatment of atrophic gastritis?
Conservative treatments
For the treatment of pathology, a complex of drugs is prescribed, however, in this case, it is necessary to take into account the stage of the pathological process, the state of secretory functions, the general condition of the patient and related diseases.
The treatment of this disease should begin with a change in diet. This diet should be aimed at preventing trauma to the gastric mucosa, which means that therefore the food should be well chewed or chopped, and you need to take it in a warm form. Fatty meats, broths, spices and mushrooms, as well as foods that can irritate the stomach, should be excluded. These include sour, fried, spicy, pickled, smoked dishes and foods. Patients are not recommended carbonated drinks, coffee and alcohol.
Treatment of atrophic gastritis does not end there.
Replacement therapy
With serious changes in secretion, it is possible to use the following medications that replace natural gastric juice:
- Abomin
- "Pepsidil";
- Acidin-Pepsin.
In addition, enzyme medicines are used:
- Mezim;
- "Pankurmen";
- Pancreatin.
If pain is present, the following medicines may be used:
- "Metacin";
- "Platifillin";
- "Gastrocepin";
- No-shpa;
- "Papaverine".
Treatment of atrophic gastritis can be carried out by alternative methods.
Folk remedies
For treatment, you can also use traditional medicine, which in some cases are no less effective than pharmacy drugs. As a rule, infusions and decoctions of various medicinal herbs are used.
The most effective recipes for treating this disease are as follows:
- With a decrease in acidity, it is possible to use potato juice, which is consumed half an hour before a meal.
- Herbal infusion from plantain, wormwood, immortelle inflorescences, calendula flowers and St. John's wort helps very well. All these herbs are taken in equal proportions and poured with hot water. After this, it is necessary to boil the ingredients over low heat for 15 minutes. Drink should be the fourth part of the glass before eating. What else provides for the treatment of atrophic gastritis with folk remedies?
- Calendula, sea buckthorn oil, nettle, yarrow and bedstraw are also a means to normalize acidity. These herbs very quickly restore the gastric mucosa.
- Enveloping action for the walls of the stomach have such means as flax seeds, marshmallow and calamus swamp. These funds also effectively help eliminate heartburn. Alternative treatment of atrophic gastritis is very effective.
- Another remedy that has a positive effect came from China. For its preparation, carrot juice, lard, pork, sugar, butter, honey and cocoa powder are used. All components must be thoroughly mixed and placed in a clay container, which should be kept in a warm place for 7 days. This medicine is taken orally by 1 tablespoon on an empty stomach, while the product is added to a small amount of milk.
- Treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis with poisons. This method of therapy should be approached very carefully. To do this, take the fly agaric, dry it and cut into small pieces (not more than 1 cm). One such piece is consumed in the morning before meals, chewing thoroughly.
- A very good tool for the treatment and healing of ulcerative erosion on the inner wall of the stomach is concentrated sea buckthorn oil. It is used on an empty stomach in the amount of a tablespoon, not washed down and not diluted with water.
Despite the fact that there is a huge variety of therapeutic methods and means for eliminating atrophic gastritis, you need to consult with specialists before using them, otherwise uncontrolled independent therapy can only aggravate the disease.
Reviews on the treatment of focal atrophic gastritis
Reviews about this disease are contradictory. Many argue that the pathology is difficult to treat or not treated at all. Most often, symptomatic therapy is used. People suffer from heaviness and pain in the stomach. The diet has proven itself well, it is necessary to normalize well-being. Also, some treatment is given some relief.
We examined the symptoms and treatment of atrophic gastritis in women and men.