Is your stomach inflamed? - Gastritis

1. What is gastritis?

Gastritis is one of the most common digestive diseases. It is an acute or chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by a variety of causes. "Stomach", are you okay? Acute gastritis is often related to acute gastric mucosal damage caused by drinking, drugs, and stress. A small number of people with low resistance may be caused by bacterial infection. Chronic gastritis is mainly related to Helicobacter pylori infection.

2. What are the symptoms of gastritis in daily life?

The main symptoms of gastritis are upper abdominal distension, pain, nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, belching, lack of appetite, etc. A small number of patients will experience long-term small amounts of bleeding, which can cause iron deficiency anemia. Patients will experience symptoms such as pale skin and mucous membranes, memory loss, fatigue, headache, dizziness, increased heart rate, dry hair, etc. Some patients may not have obvious discomfort.

3. What are the drugs that are likely to cause gastritis?

(1) Antipyretic and analgesic drugs (aspirin, indomethacin, piroxicam, ibuprofen, etc.) can cause upper abdominal pain and discomfort, and in severe cases can cause upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

(2) Antibiotics (tetracycline, erythromycin, metronidazole, furans, etc.) can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, decreased appetite and even gastrointestinal bleeding.

(3) Anti-tumor drugs (methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, etc.) will stimulate the gastrointestinal mucosa to varying degrees, causing diffuse inflammation and nausea and vomiting.

(4) Adrenal cortical hormones (adrenocorticotropic hormone, various glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone, prednisone, etc.).

If the above-mentioned drugs must be used, it is recommended to provide a detailed medical history to the doctor, take them strictly according to the doctor's instructions, try to avoid taking multiple drugs at the same time, choose appropriate safe dosage forms, and also add gastric mucosal protective agents.

4. What should I do if I have gastritis?

In fact, gastritis is the same as a cold. It is not that it cannot be cured, but that it develops or recurs due to diet, lifestyle, climate and other reasons. First of all, the cause should be eliminated, all diets that irritate the stomach should be stopped, smoking, drinking and drugs should be stopped, and temporary fasting or liquid diet should be taken, and more water should be drunk; at the same time, combined with drug treatment, acid-suppressing drugs or gastric mucosal protective agents can be used preventively for severe primary patients; if Helicobacter pylori infection is combined, combined medication is needed to completely eradicate Helicobacter pylori. ; Patients often ask, "Doctor, I have gastritis, why don't you prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs for me?" What I need to tell you here is that the stomach is a special environment - an acidic environment. Only the continuous secretion of gastric acid can help digest food. It is precisely because of the acidic environment that, except for Helicobacter pylori, other bacteria are difficult to survive. Therefore, if gastritis is not caused by ordinary bacteria, there is no need to take anti-inflammatory drugs.

5. What should you pay attention to in your diet if you suffer from chronic gastritis?

Eat regularly, eat easily digestible food, quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, avoid overly rough, spicy and overheated food, eat less salted, smoked and stale food, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

6. Can gastritis turn into cancer?

Chronic atrophic gastritis is associated with a certain risk of cancer. Gastric mucosal atrophy is considered to be the basis of cancer. Chronic atrophic gastritis is caused by repeated stimulation of the gastric mucosa by long-term inflammation, which causes obvious atrophy of the epithelium and glands on the surface, and the fibrous mucosa of the lamina propria gradually becomes thinner. According to the analysis of domestic follow-up data over the years, the prognosis of chronic atrophic gastritis is good in most cases. It is generally believed that the canceration rate is 3%-5% in 5-10 years and 10% in more than 10 years; the canceration rate of mild dysplasia is 2.5%-11% in 10 years; the canceration rate of moderate dysplasia is 4%-35% in 10 years; and the canceration rate of severe dysplasia is 10%-83% in 10 years.