Gastritis is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases, in which the gastric mucosa becomes inflamed. Among the main causes of the disease: poor diet, alcohol abuse, bacterial infection. Depending on the degree of damage to the mucous membrane, various stages of gastritis are distinguished.
Each of them is characterized by its own characteristics, both in terms of symptoms and in terms of treatment. The most common are 3 degrees of the disease: superficial, chronic, atrophic. The fourth, hypertrophic, is extremely rare and has been poorly studied to date.
General information
Acute gastritis is an acute inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which appears under the influence of chemical, mechanical, thermal or bacterial factors.
Gastritis manifests itself in partial damage to the surface epithelium of the mucous membrane and glandular apparatus, and then by the further development of inflammatory changes in it. The inflammatory process that has begun can spread to the entire thickness of the mucous membrane and even the muscular layer of the stomach wall or be limited to the surface epithelium of the mucosa. According to statistics, acute gastritis is the most common disease in the world, affecting more than half of the adult population to one degree or another.
Medical history - general information
No matter what disease the patient is admitted to the hospital with, the medical staff must begin taking a medical history on the same day. There is a special form approved by the Ministry of Health that serves as a model (in Russia this is form No. 003/u). This form consists of a title page and loose leaves.
The document structure is always the same:
- Section displaying the patient’s passport data.
- A section that describes in detail all complaints, anamnesis (history of development) of the disease, life history, examination data, examination methods, presumptive diagnosis, results of additional studies and a revised diagnosis.
- The part in which all the treatment is described in detail, how the body reacts to it, what further manipulations and examinations are planned. Also, the results of rounds and all changes in the patient’s condition are recorded daily in this part of the medical history. This section is called a diary.
The medical history is the most important document of the patient, because it will not only protect him from medical negligence, but also in case of transfer to another medical institution will help its staff to assess the patient’s condition as accurately as possible, become familiar with the therapy already performed, and much more. Therefore, fill out this paper has serious requirements
Classification of acute gastritis
Depending on the reasons why inflammation of the gastric mucosa appears, acute gastritis is divided into 3 groups:
1. Acute simplex or Gastritis acuta simplex. 2. Phlegmonous or Gastritis phlegmonosa, phlegmona ventriculi. 3. Corrosive or Gastritis corrosiva.
In turn, simple acute gastritis is divided into exogenous and endogenous forms.
Exogenous or otherwise, irritative gastritis develops under the influence of external factors: consumption of poor quality food, systematic overeating, consumption of very spicy, fatty, excessively hot or too cold foods, difficult to digest food, strong alcoholic drinks, etc. (alimentary gastritis ).
Endogenous gastritis or hematogenous , which are associated with the internal effects on the gastric mucosa of various pathological agents. This impact comes from one’s own body: acute infections, breakdown of body proteins due to burns and radiation, metabolic disorders, mental disorders, etc.
The causes of gastritis are varied. Gastritis is often caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori , but there are other causes.
This may be simply poor chewing of food due to laziness, bad habit or poor dental condition.
Violation of the diet, overeating, especially after a previous period of prolonged fasting, dry eating can also lead to acute gastritis. Another cause of stomach inflammation can be alcohol abuse and smoking.
Of particular note is a reason such as toxic infections , that is, ingestion of poor quality or infected food: coli infections, botulism , staphylococcal toxic infections, salmonellosis, etc.
Severe damage to the gastric mucosa can be caused by long-term use of certain medications. Such as antibiotics, salicylic drugs, sulfonamides, quinine , digitalis, bromine, arsenic, iodine, butadione, steroid hormones , atophan, insulin, etc.
Due to individual hypersensitivity to certain medications, severe allergic gastritis may also occur.
Endogenous causes of the development of gastritis include various acute and chronic infectious diseases, such as lung abscess, typhoid fever, measles , scarlet fever , diphtheria , influenza , typhus, tuberculosis , etc.
The cause of this group of gastritis is the hematogenous introduction of pathogenic microbes and toxic substances released by them into the stomach wall. In addition, during infectious diseases, a significant amount of toxic products of protein breakdown occurs. They, together with bacterial toxins, enter hematogenously into the walls of the stomach, causing their inflammation. Causes of gastritis can occur due to uremia, burns, frostbite. These pathological conditions, accompanied by circulatory disorders, hypoxia of the gastric mucosa and the entry of toxic substances into the bloodstream, form the pathogenetic basis for the development of acute gastritis.
Among the exogenous factors in the development of gastritis, the main place is occupied by diseases associated with metabolic disorders and the activity of the endocrine glands, such as diabetes mellitus , gout , thyrotoxicosis, etc.
Often the appearance of gastritis is associated with the influence of psychogenic factors, negative emotions and states of passion, in which circulatory disorders in the stomach and functional disorders occur, i.e., disruption of the secretory and motor functions of the stomach.
Another common cause of acute gastritis is poisoning with certain toxic substances: these can be strong acids, caustic alkalis, for example, ammonia or caustic soda. Poisoning can occur with sublimate, potassium cyanide, arsenic, chloroform, and Lysol. A similar effect cannot be ruled out when consuming high concentrations of alcohol and large doses of medications. Such poisoning may be by mistake or deliberately for the purpose of suicide.
All of the listed toxic substances not only cause irritation of the gastric mucosa, but, in concentrated form, have a pronounced necrotizing effect. The extent and prevalence of such lesions depend on the concentration and residence time of the particular toxic substance in the stomach.
In mild cases and short-term exposure, the mucous membrane can regenerate; in severe cases, the development of gross scar changes is inevitable.
Phlegmonous gastritis is a developing purulent inflammation of the stomach. It occurs as a result of injury to the stomach wall by a foreign object, for example, a fish bone. This area becomes infected with a pyogenic infection. Phlegmonous gastritis is characterized by high fever and unbearable pain in the epigastric region. Phlegmonous acute gastritis requires immediate surgical intervention, otherwise peritonitis and most often the disease ends in death.
Regime and diet therapy
When starting treatment for chronic stomach diseases, you need to remember to follow a rest and nutrition regimen. The main requirement is to give up bad habits - smoking, alcohol. It is equally important to get proper rest and avoid stress disorders. Physical activity is expected to be moderate. If necessary, the attending physician will prescribe antidepressants or tranquilizers and recommend a consultation with a psychotherapist.
You should eat small and often. The volume of each serving should not exceed 200 grams of food. Equally important for quick healing are walks in the fresh air and good sleep lasting at least 8 hours.
A diet for gastritis should be balanced and complete. The acute stage involves strict restrictions, including periods of hunger during the first 24 hours. Then, as your condition improves, you should gradually expand your diet to include semi-liquid, boiled or steamed dishes.
Menu for gastritis type A
The menu for this form of the disease consists of:
- Dishes made from boiled fish or lean meat.
- Soups with vegetable, mushroom or low-fat meat broths.
- Vegetables raw, baked or boiled. The same goes for fruits.
- Mild, lightly salted varieties of cheese.
- Low-fat ham and lightly salted herring, which must be soaked in cold water before eating.
- Kissels and compotes. Rosehip decoction.
- Juices of some fruits or vegetables.
- Dry cookies, yesterday's stale bread, crackers.
The following dishes are contraindicated for autoimmune gastritis:
- Fried foods.
- Spicy and salty foods.
- Canned fish or meat.
- Fried pies, freshly prepared baked goods.
- Cold dishes - carbonated drinks. Ice cream.
- Alcohol of all kinds.
Diet for gastritis type B
Recommended Products:
- Fresh milk from a cow or goat.
- Dairy products - cream or low-fat cottage cheese.
- Soft sweet fruits - pear, banana, apples, persimmons.
- Porridge made from cereals of varying degrees of grinding.
- Vegetables boiled or stewed, as well as baked.
- Low-fat varieties of fish or meat boiled, steamed or baked.
Prohibited for use with gastritis:
- Rich broths from fatty fish or meat.
- Are they salty, smoked, or spicy and fried?
- Pickled vegetables or raw.
- Fresh bread, muffins, buns.
- Cold drinks.
Symptoms of acute gastritis
Very often, gastritis is asymptomatic, however, sooner or later, the symptoms of gastritis appear and depend on the form of the disease. General symptoms of gastritis: pain in the upper abdomen on an empty stomach and/or after eating, heaviness in the abdomen after eating, nausea, vomiting, belching, weight loss, loss of appetite. Symptoms of acute gastritis may disappear at times, then reappear. Upon examination, a tongue coated with a grayish-white coating is visible; the patient complains of increased salivation or, conversely, dry mouth, heartburn , sometimes frequent constipation , unpleasant odor in the mouth, and weakness. Sweating, dizziness , headache , fever, decreased blood pressure, and tachycardia .
Acute gastritis of the erosive form, in addition to general symptoms, can be manifested by signs of gastric bleeding : abdominal pain, vomiting and the appearance of dark blood clots or streaks in the vomit, dark tarry stools.
Palpation reveals pain in the upper abdomen.
On average, acute simple gastritis lasts for five days. Timely treatment of acute gastritis gives a favorable prognosis. If the effect of harmful factors is repeated, acute gastritis becomes chronic.
The structure of the gastric mucosa
The course of the disease is characterized by the category of deformation of the internal walls of the stomach. When starting the description, it is useful to familiarize yourself with the structure of the mucous membrane. The mucous membrane of any organ is moistened by a layer of mucus produced by the secretion of the epithelium, a surface layer that is nourished by the underlying layer and does not have its own vessels.
The mucous membrane consists of:
- Epithelium – the superficial glandular layer of the stomach;
- The lamina propria is a deep, loose layer of connective tissue surrounding the gland;
- The muscle plate is the third lower layer of connective tissue with many vessels, veins and nerve plexuses.
The inner shell is a wrinkled surface with many depressions and folds. Clusters of the stomach’s own glands are hidden in the recesses. Glands are elongated tubes consisting of cells for different purposes. There are 15 million similar tubes in the stomach. Gland cells produce different types of enzymes that form a cocktail of gastric secretions.
Any mucous membrane is a fragile tissue; damage caused by bacteria or chemicals is detrimental to the layers and functionality. Now, understanding the essence of the work of the internal walls of the gastric tissue, let's consider the three stages of gastritis development.
Diagnosis of acute gastritis
The most effective and modern method for diagnosing gastritis is currently fibrogastroduodenoendoscopy ( FGDS ). The FGDS method allows for examination of the gastric mucosa using a probe and biopsy, i.e. taking a piece of mucous tissue for analysis. This method allows you to distinguish gastritis from gastric ulcer. Based on the data obtained during FGDS, doctors divide gastritis into erosive and non-erosive .
Treatment with folk remedies
In addition to pharmaceutical drugs, patients often resort to traditional recipes. Gastroenterologists do not exclude the use of medicinal herbs to improve the patient’s condition, but only as an auxiliary method of treatment. The list of herbs for patients who have gastrointestinal diseases is large.
Will give the most popular popular advice:
- Chamomile tea – helps reduce flatulence and relieve pain symptoms.
- A tincture of wormwood and dandelion will help increase your appetite.
- Salt-alkaline mineral water - recommended during remission in order to increase the acidity of the stomach.
- Bicarbonate waters without carbon dioxide help reduce secretion.
Treatment of type B gastritis has a positive prognosis - this disease is quite treatable... the main thing is to identify the problem in time and follow the doctor’s instructions for a complete cure for the disease.
Irrefutable statistics facts
Harsh statistics show that the disease is widespread in Russia. The root causes are an unbalanced diet, taking aspirin-containing medications on an empty stomach, drinking alcohol and other understandable reasons. In Russia, diseases of the digestive system account for just under 40%, with 85% being stomach diseases. In 35% of patients, the disease transforms into severe stage 3: 5% under 30 years of age, 30% under 50 years of age, and 65-70% in people over 50 years of age.
Based on statistics, it can be stated that the majority of the country's population is under threat. You need to take preventive measures and improve your lifestyle. You should not self-medicate even in the early stages. Treatment must be carried out under professional supervision.
The following stages of gastritis are distinguished depending on the duration of the disease and the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment:
- superficial;
- chronic (erosive or diffuse);
- atrophic;
- hypertrophic.
Let's look at each stage in more detail.
Digestive disorders, consequences for the body
Unfortunately, people do not pay enough attention to an important organ - the stomach. However, disturbances in its functioning are as life-threatening as cardiovascular diseases.
The stomach is a contractile vessel, the upper part of which is connected to the esophagus, the lower part to the duodenum. Food enters through the esophagus, the walls of the stomach begin to contract in waves, grinding the food. When the senses of touch signal the smell or appetizing appearance of food, long before the food enters the body, gastric juice begins to be produced. The chemical composition of gastric juice is determined by the content of hydrochloric acid and pepsin. Hydrochloric acid formed in the stomach helps fight bacteria that enter the body with food and is considered a necessary ingredient for the normal functioning of the pepsin enzyme.
Part of the food mixed to the state of a viscous liquid, the protein itself, is broken down under the influence of pepsin for further absorption. In parallel, the stomach glands produce enzymes necessary for the absorption of vitamin B-12 into the body, which is necessary for the formation of red blood cells and maintaining a stable state of the nervous system.
The food liquid processed within a few hours rushes into the small intestine, where, in the process of further breakdown, beneficial substances are absorbed into the bloodstream, and waste moves towards the large intestine. The bloodstream supplies the body's cells with useful substances.
Now let’s imagine a failure in the functioning of an established system. The damaged mucosa stops producing hydrochloric acid. Under the influence of protective functions, more mucus is produced. The breakdown of food and proper further transportation are interrupted. The cell nutrition cycle is disrupted. The vital functions of the body are at risk.
