Long gone are the days when people did not think about the quality of the products, because they grew everything on their own and ate only homemade food. Today, most manufacturers care only about their wallet, pumping products with various substances. In addition, mankind has a predilection for fried, spicy, smoked, salty, sweet and fatty foods, drinks an incredible amount of carbonated drinks and coffee. Treatment of some diseases is impossible without antibiotics, and not every patient hurries to restore the intestinal microflora after antibiotic therapy. Due to all these and many other reasons, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract develop, one of which is anacid gastritis. Symptoms and treatment, diagnosis, the role of proper nutrition, and other important information are all in this article.
What is anacid gastritis?
The medical term implies one of the varieties of this chronic type of disease, which is characterized by low acidity of gastric juice. It is caused by insufficient (or rather, zero) secretion of hydrochloric acid by parietal cells. This specific fluid is necessary for the digestive system to digest and assimilate food.
The role of acidity in the human stomach
Hydrochloric acid performs several important functions:
- It is actively involved in the digestion of protein.
- It has a bactericidal effect, which contributes to the destruction of pathogenic microorganisms. Otherwise, the mucous membrane will constantly become inflamed.
- It is necessary for normal peristalsis.
When anacid gastritis is diagnosed, all these functions are impaired. It is also known that a lack of hydrochloric acid causes a decrease in immunity. This leads to frequent illnesses and causes a feeling of chronic fatigue and the development of tumor diseases.
Reasons for the development of pathology
This type of gastritis is much less common than, for example, hyperacid, so it has not yet been possible to identify the "culprits" of its occurrence with 100% accuracy. Nevertheless, scientists were able to determine what is capable of provoking anacid gastritis:
- Too spicy and hot food.
- Excessive consumption of coffee, especially on an empty stomach.
- One or two meals a day with a large interval between meals.
- Dry food (lack of soups in the diet).
- Alcohol abuse and frequent smoking.
Symptoms reporting this disease
Since any form of this pathology is manifested by approximately the same signs, without clinical studies it will be difficult to understand that this is anacid gastritis. Symptoms
- bad breath, which does not go away even after brushing your teeth;
- vomiting mixed with mucus or bile;
- stomach pain and a feeling of heaviness;
- weight loss without good reason;
- stool disorder - diarrhea or constipation;
- belching with an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth;
- fatigue and loss of appetite.
The longer anacid gastritis develops, the stronger the symptoms. In addition, if you do not start treatment, there is a high probability of joining a number of other signs of the disease:
- progressive weight loss;
- development of concomitant gastrointestinal pathologies;
- aversion to certain foods that did not exist before;
- flatulence and rumbling in the stomach;
- the development of anemia.
Both lists of symptoms can also relate to other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, therefore, in any case, if one or more signs appear, you need to visit a gastroenterologist and take tests to clarify the diagnosis.
Diagnostic research methods to confirm the diagnosis
When a doctor has a suspicion of chronic anacid gastritis, he prescribes a procedure for the patient, the purpose of which is to determine the level of acidity. To do this, use a tube with electrodes at the end, connected to a special device. It is introduced into the patient’s oral cavity, then it is gradually advanced through the pharynx into the esophagus, and from there into the stomach. During the trip, the device takes readings from the mucous membrane and transfers it to the screen. This procedure is called "intragastric pH metering."
Anacid gastritis is when, according to the results of the study, the pH level fluctuates at around 5-6. Other tests are also being carried out that allow you to clarify the patient’s health status and determine a treatment plan. Among them:
- general and biochemical blood analysis;
- X-ray of the stomach with a contrast agent;
- spinal cord puncture - this procedure is necessary to determine anemia;
- fibrogastroscopy;
- analysis of the contents of the stomach to identify bacteria;
- biopsy of the gastric mucosa.
What is the danger of such a disease?
Anacid gastritis, the symptoms of which are poorly expressed at the initial stage, is dangerous because it does not make itself felt right away, because the patient would have had the opportunity to immediately begin treatment. In the opposite case, that is, without appropriate therapy, the state of health will only worsen.
As already mentioned above, hydrochloric acid is necessary for the digestion of food entering the stomach, and it also acts as a disinfectant and bactericidal. When the synthesis of this important fluid is impaired, functions are disrupted, during which pathogenic microbes that destroy the microflora are activated. This condition leads to the development of a wide variety of diseases, such as enteritis, pancreatitis, colitis, cholecystitis and dysbiosis.
Treatment of anacid gastritis: all available methods
To eliminate the disease, you need to influence the causes of its development - this is the main rule of quality therapy for any pathology. In the case of anacid gastritis, it is becoming more difficult, since it has not yet been possible to establish pathogens. Nevertheless, treatment should be carried out, and doctors have their own thoughts on this.
Faced with this disease, gastroenterologists act as follows:
- Symptomatic therapy is performed.
- Prescribe antibacterial agents.
- Prescribe medications designed to stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid.
To cure anacid gastritis, drugs for treatment can be selected such:
- enveloping action ("Almagel", "Phosphalugel");
- antispasmodics (No-Shpa, Drotaverinum);
- enzyme preparations ("Pancreatin", "Pepsin");
- vitamin-mineral complexes, in particular containing cyanocobalomin (B12).
If the Helicobacter pylori bacterium was detected by the results of the analysis, antibiotics are additionally prescribed, for example, Amoxicillin or Metronidazole. But only a doctor can prescribe any medication.
The disease can be treated well with folk remedies. The most commonly used prune infusion, fresh plantain juice and various herbal preparations.
It is important that a specialist prescribes a treatment plan, as inadequate medication will not only not produce the desired effect, but can also adversely affect the patient’s health.
Nutritional Recommendations
It is easy to guess that the disease anacid gastritis is much easier to cure if you follow a certain diet. Proper nutrition in general is a panacea for almost all diseases, and especially related to the digestive tract. It is worth paying attention to these recommendations:
- refuse fatty, fried and rough foods;
- cook in vegetable or ghee;
- eat daily at the same time and at least 5 times a day, but in small portions;
- if you wanted a vegetable salad, it’s better to boil half the vegetables, and leave the other fresh, because this way the dish will turn out not too coarse, but at the same time it will stimulate the production of digestive juice.
It is recommended that lean meats such as chicken breast and turkey fillet be included in the diet. You can cook cereals or pasta for a side dish, and bread at the time of use should be yesterday. It is useful to eat fruits and berries, drink milk, herbal decoctions, fruit drinks and fruit drinks. For example, you can study the treatment table number 2 according to Pevzner.
Preventative measures
Anacid gastritis, the symptoms and treatment of which were described above, can be overcome if you adhere to a healthy lifestyle: eat right, spend more time in the fresh air, play sports moderately and abandon bad habits. If you follow these recommendations, you will be able to prevent the development of not only gastrointestinal diseases, but also almost all others, and then nothing can prevent you from achieving your life goals!