Do you also have frequent stomach pain? This could be gastritis!

Imagine that you have just finished eating a delicious meal, and you feel a burning sensation in your stomach, a feeling of tightness in your chest. Or sometimes you feel stomach pain even when your stomach is empty before eating. Do things like this happen to you often? Although many people think of it as 'gastric', this may actually be a condition called gastritis, which is medically known as gastritis. Let's talk about this simply today, what it is, why it occurs, and what we should do.

Simply put, what is gastritis?

Gastritis is when the protective lining of our stomach, or stomach lining, becomes inflamed, injured, or damaged. This can occur in two main ways.

• Acute Gastritis: This is the type that comes on suddenly and gets better within a few days. It can usually be caused by an infection, strong medication, or excessive alcohol consumption.
• Chronic Gastritis: This is a type that starts slowly and lasts for a long time. Many people in the world have this type of gastritis. The main cause of this is infection with a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori) .

What are the main types of gastritis?

Gastritis is also classified according to how it affects the stomach wall.

In addition, doctors also classify gastritis according to the cause of the condition. For example, gastritis caused by alcohol, gastritis caused by certain medications, and gastritis caused by infections.

Why do we get gastritis? What are the causes?

Gastritis is the body's response when our stomach lining becomes weakened or damaged. There can be many reasons for this.

• Continuous use of painkillers: Long-term use of painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen (NSAIDs - Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) is a major cause.
• Alcohol, tobacco, and drugs: Excessive drinking, smoking, and use of drugs such as cocaine.
• H. pylori bacterial infection: This is the most common cause in the world.
• Severe mental or physical stress: Stress caused by things like undergoing major surgery, a serious accident, or illness.
• Other infections: Some viruses and parasitic infections can also cause it.
• Bile reflux: The backflow of bile, a fluid that helps digest food, into the stomach.
• Autoimmune response: Our body's own immune system mistakenly attacks the cells of the stomach.
• Some treatments for cancer, for example radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Because the stomach wall naturally thins with age, older people are at slightly higher risk of developing gastritis.

What are the symptoms of gastritis?

The symptoms of gastritis are not the same for everyone. Some people may not have any symptoms at all. However, these are the most common symptoms.

Doctor, how do you diagnose gastritis?

After listening to your symptoms and examining you, if your doctor suspects that you have gastritis, he or she will recommend one or more of these tests.

• Upper Endoscopy: This is the most accurate method. A thin tube with a camera attached is inserted through the mouth and directly looks at the inner wall of the stomach. It can clearly see if there is swelling or ulcers. If necessary, a small piece of tissue can be taken from there for examination. This is called a biopsy .
• Blood tests: Blood tests can help check for anemia (a lack of blood), and to find out if you have H. pylori infection.
• Stool test: This test is done to check for trace amounts of blood in the stool.
• Breath test: This is another special test to detect the H. pylori bacteria.

What are the treatments for gastritis?

Treatment depends on the cause of gastritis and the severity of the condition.

Acute gastritis sometimes resolves on its own after quitting smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking the medication that is causing the problem. However, chronic gastritis requires treatment.

There are several main types of medications that are given.

• Antacids: These neutralize stomach acid and provide quick relief.
• H2 blockers: These reduce the production of stomach acid.
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): These are drugs that effectively block the production of stomach acid.
• Antibiotics: If your gastritis is caused by the H. pylori bacteria, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to kill it.
• Surface coating agents: These create a protective coating on the injured stomach wall, helping it to heal.

Complications that may occur if gastritis persists

Most of the time, gastritis can be cured, but if it continues without treatment, some complications can occur.

• Peptic ulcers: Painful ulcers develop and may bleed.
• Anemia: Anemia can develop due to continuous blood loss or decreased absorption of nutrients like iron by the body.
• Atrophic Gastritis: Long-term gastritis can cause the stomach wall to become thin, reducing the ability to absorb nutrients like vitamin B12.
• Stomach cancer risk: This is very rare. However, long-term, untreated gastritis, especially gastritis caused by H. pylori infection, slightly increases the risk of stomach cancer. That's why it's important to see a doctor if you have symptoms and seek treatment.

Gastritis, Gastritis, Stomach inflammation, Stomach diseases, H. pylori, Stomach pain, Gastric, Peptic ulcer