Gastritis
Gastritis is an irritation, inflammation, erosion or infection of the stomach lining. It’s not the same as an ulcer, whose symptoms are similar.
Gastritis Symptoms
Gastritis symptoms are abdominal pain and cramps, appetite loss, fever, weakness, a swollen abdomen, a sharp or dull chest pain, an acid taste in the mouth, belching or gas. Other, less common gastritis symptoms are mild nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Causes of gastritis can be heavy drinking or the long term or inappropriate use of drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen.
It can also be caused by smoking or overeating, especially of foods that aren’t digested easily. It can also be caused by a virus, in which case it might be contagious. Causes can also be unknown.
Types of Gastritis
Chronic gastritis can be the result of an infection by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which causes ulcers. Chronic gastritis can also come about if most of the stomach was surgically removed, either because a malignancy was found or because of weight loss surgery. The condition can also be caused by HIV/AIDS, digestive tract disturbances, or diseases of the liver or kidney. In some cases the cause of chronic gastritis is unknown.
In atrophic gastritis the lining of the stomach is eventually worn away and replaced by tissue usually found in the intestine. As a result, people who suffer from atrophic gastritis lose many of the enzymes that help with digestion, including hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor. Atrophic gastritis can lead to pernicious anemia and a deficiency of Vitamin B12. Intrinsic factor is what makes the body able to absorb Vitamin B12 and the lack of Vitamin B12 leads to pernicious anemia.
Atrophic gastritis can also be caused by the H. pylori bacteria. Sometimes the condition is caused by the body’s own immune system attacking it. Sufferers of atrophic gastritis are more like to contract ulcers and stomach cancer.
Gastritis Risks and Complications
The risk of gastritis and chronic gastritis increases with stress, bad diet, an illness that has lowered the body’s immune response, smoking and the overuse of drugs such as non steroidal anti-inflammatories, cortisone and caffeine. Alcoholism, fatigue or overwork can also increase the chances of coming down with the ailment.
A possible complication of gastritis is bleeding. This is uncommon but dangerous, especially in patients who are elderly or immunocompromised, which means having an immune system that has been impaired by disease or treatment. Other complications are ulcers and even perforation. In perforation the stomach acid eats into and through the wall of the stomach. Surgery is necessary to fix both ulcers and perforation.
Gastritis Treatment
Effective gastritis treatment calls for a medical history and exam by a doctor and lab studies that measure stomach acid. Other tests that will lead to effective gastritis treatment are a blood cell count, urinalysis, stool sample, endoscopy and perhaps a stomach biopsy.
Gastritis treatment usually calls for changes in life style and diet. To prevent an attack, the patient should eat or drink moderately and avoid foods that are hard for them to digest. They shouldn’t skip meals, let their physician know all the medications they’re taking and try not to take the ones that irritate their stomach. Other forms of gastritis treatment include the patient taking antacids or the doctor prescribing other forms of medication depending on the cause of the gastritis. Proton pump inhibitors are another form of gastritis treatment.
On the first day of an attack a patient who has gastritis symptoms should stop eating solid food. They should only drink milk or water and resume their normal diet slowly. They should avoid all hot, spicy and difficult foods until their symptoms disappear, then take up a gastritis diet.
Gastritis Diet
A good gastritis diet would have the patient eat no more than two cups a day of skim or low fat milk, cheese, yogurt or ice cream. No more than two servings a day of lean meats, poultry, fish and eggs. Four or more servings of vegetables, fruits and legumes and four or more servings a day of unrefined, unsweetened whole grain cereals and breads.
In a good gastritis diet fat is no more than 30 percent of the total calories of the diet and the intake of sugars like candy should be much reduced. The patient on a gastritis diet should eat unrefined sugars like those found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Their salt intake should also be reduced to only 3 or 4 grams a day. This diet should help a great deal in relieving a patient’s gastritis symptoms, especially if they’ve suffered from chronic gastritis.