GASTRITIS - SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

Gastritis is an inflammation of a mucous (internal) layer of stomach. There are two main types of gastritises: with the lowered and increased acidity of gastric juice. Some cases of gastritis can proceed with normal acidity.

The illness when a stomach doesn`t secret hydrochloric acid at all is called anacidic gastritis.

Causes of Gastritis

1. Taking of some drugs for a long time;

2.Bad chewing of food, the use of poor-quality products (including, c preservatives), love to hot and marinaded dishes, long breaks between meals;

3. Helicobacter Pylori - a bacterium which settles in a stomach and is often carried by cockroaches;

4. "Harmful" habits - alcohol and smoking;

5. Modern food: refined cereals and oils, presence of preservatives, emulsifiers, hormones and antibiotics.

Acute gastritis can be caused by alcohol intake, poor-quality products, drugs, a metabolic disorder, diseases of liver and kidneys.

Symptoms of acute gastritis

Suddenly there is a weight or pain in the pit of the stomach, an eructation with a smell of the eaten food or rotten egg.

In 1-2 days even without treatment all manifestations of gastritis pass, there comes an absolute recovery.

Chronic gastritis

This is a very widespread disease. It is discovered in a third of cases of diseases of digestive organs. Chronic gastritis is an inflammation of a mucous membrane of a stomach which has long duration. Chronic gastritis has long negative impact on an organism.

There are the following types of chronic gastritises:

chronic helikobakter gastritis (about 65 % of all meeting gastritises);

chronic autoimmune gastritis (about 18 -20 % of all gastritises);

idiopathic chronic gastritis (unknown origin);

jet chronic gastritis;

special forms of chronic gastritis.

The most widespread type of chronic gastritis is caused by bacteria of Helicobacter Pylori which gets to a stomach and can live there long time, damaging the cover of a stomach and causing gastritis.

Symptoms of chronic gastritis

Decrease in appetite, unpleasant taste in a mouth, an eructation, nausea and even vomiting. The most frequent symptoms are pressure and morbidity in the pit of the stomach after food, heartburn. Pains and feeling of weight in the pit of the stomach after meals are sometimes possible.

Anacidic gastrites can have the signs of irritation of small intestine caused by bacteriums which are not killed by hydrochloric acid which is not secreted at this type of gastritis.

Gastritis treatment

Gastritis treatment always begin with a diet.

It is recommended to observe the following rules:

The food and drinks shouldn't be very cold or hot;

The firm food should always be chewed carefully;

Meals should be taken several times a day (not less than 5), but in small portions.

Bacterium Helicobacter Pylori is rather difficult to cure. The scheme of treatment of a helikobater includes some antibiotics and lasts 10-14 days.

Heartburn and a sour eructation are treated with anti-acid medications.

When there is the lack of acid secretion, the medications of hydrochloric acid should be taken during meals.

Motilium is recommended by gastroenterologists for improvement of impellent function of a stomach. For healing of a mucous membrane of a stomach gastroenterologists can recommend such medications as carnitine - 20 % solution and sea-buckthorn berries oil. In some cases of gastritis injections of cyanocobalamine (Vitamin B12) can be helpful.

Different herbs can also be used to treat gastritis. These are St.-John's wort, camomile ( with increased acidity of gastric juice) and plantain (with lowered acidity).

In cases with normal acidity the composition of these herbs can be used. Extracts of herbs should be taken 20-30 minutes before meals 3-4 times a day.

Diet

For gastritis with the lowered secretion (with the lowered or normal acidity) the diet consists of various well boiled porridges, especially buckwheat, oats and corn, low-fat meat (even fried, but without a firm crust), low-fat fish, all fresh and not too sour sour-milk products, stale bread, crackers, vegetables and fruit - boiled and raw, milk, boiled eggs, fruit and vegetable juice, butter, tea of coffee, cocoa. Meals should be taken not less than 5 times a day, best of all in mashed form.

For gastritis with increased secretion of a stomach, the diet, which neutralises excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid is recommended: dried bread or crackers, not rich cookies, milk, kefir, yogurt, not sour and fresh cottage cheese, cream, curdled milk;steamed or boiled low-fat fish and meat. Vegetables and greens must be well boiled or in mashed form. From meat products - dietary sausages, low-fat ham and a gammon, smoked low-fat fish. From fats possibly the use of butter and vegetable oil (sunflower, olive). It is not recommended to use sauces. Spices are completely excluded - a little cinnamon, a bay leaf is allowed. It is not recommended to eat fried food. It is possible to drink tea, cocoa. Coffee is not recommended.

Forbidden to use: alcohol - completely, newly-baked or rich confectionery, rolls, firm cheeses, rye bread, bean (peas, haricot, lentil), thick macaroni, fried eggs, fat meat and/or fish, a canned food, spices, fried potatoes and French fries, cabbage, turnip, a garden radish, onions, fruit with peel and all fat and pungent food.