What are the symptoms of atrophic gastritis and how to treat it?

Among all varieties of gastritis, atrophic is the most insidious and often precedes the development of cancer. Men of middle and old age fall into the risk zone. The disease causes thinning of the gastric mucosa with degeneration and necrosis of its tissues. The absence of pronounced symptoms at the initial stage contributes to the aggravation of the condition.

• Causes
• Symptoms
• Types
• Than
• Diagnostics
• Treatment
• Diet
• Treatment with folk remedies
• Prevention

Causes of

Not reliably established, which triggers the onset of atrophic gastritis, but there are factors that increase the risk of its development:

• Helicobacteriosis - an increasethe number of Helicobacter pylori bacteria, able in certain situations to attack the walls of the stomach;
• autoimmune processes, when antibodies to own cells are produced in the stomach;
• the presence of concomitant diseases( pancreatitis, ulcer, cholecystitis, enterocolitis) can lead to the development of gastritis;
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• reflux - throwing the contents of the intestines back into the stomach, which causes an increase in acidity;
  

  
  

• medications - prolonged use of certain drugs causes irritation of the gastric mucosa;
• hereditary predisposition to digestive tract diseases;
• harmful working conditions - toxins of chemicals are inhaled into the stomach, settling on its walls;
• age changes in the body - natural aging and deterioration of internal organs in the elderly;
• improper diet - excess in the diet of spicy, spicy, too hot or cold dishes, coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, and poor chewing food can damage the stomach;
• bad habits - nicotine and alcohol traumatize the mucous;
• stress and psychological stress.

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Symptoms of

The initial stage of atrophic gastritis is not characterized by severe symptoms, and this contributes to its progression. In more severe stages, the disease manifests itself as follows:

• pain - mostly aching, mild, episodic;
• severity in the stomach - the most frequent symptom, is considered a constant companion of the disease, appears even with a small amount of eaten;
• eructation - increases with the development of pathology, is present after each meal, often accompanied by a sour taste;
• heartburn - arises from the increased acidity of gastric juice and does not pass even after taking special medications;
• disruption of the intestine - flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, rumbling in the abdomen are characteristic even for mild forms of the disease;
• nausea and vomiting, not replaced by a sense of relief;
• decrease in body weight - due to impaired appetite, diarrhea, vomiting;
• atrophy of the papillae of the tongue - too smooth, polished to look at the tongue, with exacerbations - with a touch;
• deterioration of the general condition of the body - in the stomach there is no absorption of nutrients, lack of vitamins and trace elements leads to problems with skin, hair, nails, bleeding gums appear, eyesight deteriorates, there is weakness, fatigue, dizziness.

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Types of

The following forms are distinguished by the nature of atrophic gastritis:

• acute( or active) - the development of the disease occurs quickly, for several hours or days, with severe symptoms;
• chronic( inactive) - atrophy of glands and cells takes a long time, signs of the disease are poorly indicated and require additional clarification.

Depending on the site of localization, gastritis can occur:

• focal - the appearance of individual atrophied areas on the walls of the stomach, with the enhancement of the functions of healthy parts of the organ, which often occurs against the background of increased acidity;
• diffuse - subdivided into the base( damage to the mucous membrane of the bottom or body of the stomach) and antral( atrophy occurs in the lower part of the stomach located on the border with the intestine);
• multifocal( common) - several regions or the whole stomach is affected.
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In terms of severity, these types of gastritis are distinguished:

• mild( superficial) - the initial stage of the disease;
• expressed - characterized by a clear manifestation of symptoms;
• hyperplastic - atrophic changes are combined with hyperplasia( increased cell division leading to the appearance of neoplasms).

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Than

is dangerous. In the mucous membrane of the stomach of a healthy person are glands producing hydrochloric acid and enzymes - the main components of gastric juice. When an atrophic gastritis occurs, the cells of these glands lose their ability to function normally and are replaced by scar tissue or cells similar to intestinal.

Interruptions in the work of the stomach cause the pathology of other digestive organs( intestines, pancreas, liver) and the whole organism as a whole. But especially dangerous is the degeneration of cells - intestinal metaplasia, which is able to grow into dysplasia( a mutation of epithelial cells), causing the appearance of malignant tumor formations.

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Diagnosis

To determine the nature of the disease, a complex examination of the stomach is performed:

• gastroscopy - shows thinning of the mucosa and its pale, grayish color with a decrease in folds and the severity of the vascular pattern, as well as areas of intestinal metaplasia;
• histology - sampling of tissues from various sites of the mucosa and their microscopic analysis;
• intragastric pH-metry - determines the decreased acidity of gastric juice;
• hematological studies - various blood tests can determine the degree of metaplasia and atrophy;
• studies on Helicobacter pylori - serve to identify the degree of infection with bacteria and the presence of antibodies to them in the blood;
• stool analysis - shows excessive content of digestible fiber, connective tissue, muscle fibers, intracellular starch, and also reveals the presence of dysbacteriosis.
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Treatment

Therapy is aimed at preventing further intestinal metaplasia and cancers. Consists of a whole complex of measures:

• Eradication treatment - performed with excessive activity of Helicobacter pylori bacteria, includes the use of anti-Helicobacter antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors( Nolpaz), bismuth preparations( De-nol).
• Dietotherapy - with exacerbations of gastritis, table No. 1-a is applied with a gradual transition to diet number 1. In the chronic form of the disease, a sparing diet No. 2 is used.
• Physiotherapy procedures - electrophoresis with medicinal products, electro- and magnetotherapy, thermal effect on the affected area. In the absence of exacerbation - sanatorium treatment in balneological resorts with mineral waters.

As far as medical treatment is concerned, it is multifaceted:

• hydrochloric acid substitutes and gastric juice enzymes( Abomin, tablets containing acidum and pepsin, natural gastric juice);
• means for lowering the acidity( Omez, Omeprazole, Nexium) and microflora recovery( Hilak Forte) - if necessary;
• gastroprotectors protecting the lining of the stomach( Misoprostol, Carbenoxolone);
• stimulators of mucosal repair( Solcoseryl);
• prokinetics affecting gastric motility( Cisapride, Domperidone);
• agents with enveloping and astringent properties and anti-inflammatory effect, covering the affected areas with a thin film - preparations of bismuth and aluminum;
• with B12-deficient anemia, steroid hormones can be taken and vitamin B12 can be administered.

Unfortunately, atrophic gastritis caused by hereditary factors and caused by autoimmune diseases( for example, B12 folio deficiency anemia, thyroid diseases) can not be cured - the side effects from the use of corticosteroids may exceed the effectiveness of treatment.

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Diet

Patients withAtrophic gastritis should pay special attention to their diet. Food should be in a boiled or baked, crusted form, acceptable temperature, the number of meals - at least 5 times a day in small portions. It excludes dishes that are able to irritate and injure the mucous( acute, acidic, salty), long digested( smoked, fatty).

Food should be balanced and contain:

• Soups - cooked on the water, with the addition of vegetables, boiled cereals, pasta, low-fat meat, poultry and fish. Do not recommend milk soups, okroshka, use of legumes.
• Bakery products - wheat bread of yesterday's baking, biscuits and dried biscuits, sweet biscuits. Exclude fresh baking, products from puff pastry.
• Cereals - in the form of porridges boiled on water with the addition of milk or cream, cottage cheese, fruit, honey. Exception - millet and pearl barley.
• Meat - low-fat varieties( rabbit, beef, chicken - preferably in the form of cutlets), boiled tongue, dairy sausages. Do not eat pork, lamb, duck and goose meat, smoked foods and canned food.
• Fish - baked, extinguished, in the form of steam cutlets. Oily, salted fish, as well as canned food should not be included in the menu.
• Fats - vegetable refined oils, butter.
• Dairy products - grated hard cheese, sour milk( kefir, curdled milk), cottage cheese-sour cream dishes( casseroles, curd soufflé, pudding), drinks with milk and cream.
• Eggs - cooked soft-boiled, in the form of steam omelettes. It is not recommended to boil hard-boiled eggs.
• Vegetables - preferably in baked or brawned form, wiped or shredded. Potatoes, carrots, beets, zucchini, pumpkin, green peas, onions in limited quantities are allowed. Prohibited to eat garlic, radish, radish, cucumber, bell pepper, mushrooms.
• Fruits and berries - ripe, mashed potatoes, mousses, jellies, compotes, kissels, baked apples, honey, jam, marshmallow, pastille. Not recommended ice cream, figs, dates, berries with small coarse grains and skin( currants, raspberries, gooseberries).
• Drinks - tea with lemon, weak coffee in limited quantities, broth of wild rose, berry, fruit and vegetable juices, diluted with water. Kvass and grape juice are excluded.

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Treatment with folk remedies

In the treatment of atrophic gastritis, traditional medicine is also used along with traditional medicine. It is aimed at removing inflammation of the mucosa and stimulating the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Reception of means is carried out before meal 3 times a day:

• decoctions of medicinal herbs( St. John's wort, plantain, chamomile, wormwood, thyme) - are effective when used together or separately, the daily norm is 3-6 table spoons;
• Plantaglucid( plantain leaves granules) - should be diluted in warm water, use 3 teaspoons a day;
• mineral waters( Essentuki №4 and №17, Narzan, Mirgorodskaya) - take warmed up;
• oat broth or jelly - good as a first breakfast;
• broth of dogrose - you can drink instead of tea;
• juices( lemon, cabbage, tomato) - should be diluted with boiled water, drink warm;
• Limonar( citric and succinic acid) - use 3 tablets per day;
• aloe juice and honey mixed in equal shares - daily norm is 3 teaspoons;
• sea buckthorn oil - 1 tablespoon taken on an empty stomach for a month;
• balm based on cedar gum and thistle oil, cooked in a 1: 5 ratio - start taking 2 drops 3 times a day, increasing the daily dosage by 2 drops to 16. After a month, take a break, repeat the course in a month.

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Prophylaxis of

To prevent the development of atrophic gastritis, one can observe simple rules:

• to treat early illnesses( chronic, acute, erosive gastritis, Helicobacter infections) in a timely manner;
• to abandon bad habits( smoking, alcohol);
• regularly and correctly eat;
• to limit the impact of stress;
• appointing a doctor to prescribe medications, not to engage in self-medication;
• 1 time in 3 years to be examined by a gastroenterologist, with symptoms of digestive system - to seek help immediately.