Gastritis is a disease of the stomach that occurs due to inflammation of the stomach wall. In the stomach wall or gastric mucosal layer there are glands that produce stomach acid and a digestive enzyme called pepsin. To protect the gastric mucosal lining from damage caused by stomach acid, the stomach wall is lined with thick mucus (mucus). If the mucus is damaged, the stomach wall is prone to inflammation.
In general, gastritis is divided into two types, namely acute gastritis and chronic gastritis. It is said to be acute gastritis when inflammation of the stomach lining occurs suddenly. Acute gastritis will cause severe heartburn, but only temporary.
Whereas in chronic gastritis, inflammation in the stomach lining occurs slowly and for a long time. Pain caused by chronic gastritis is milder pain than acute gastritis, but occurs for a longer time and occurs more often. This chronic inflammation of the stomach lining can lead to changes in the structure of the stomach lining and the risk of developing cancer.
Besides the risk of causing cancer, gastritis can also cause erosion of the stomach lining. This erosion of the stomach lining is known as erosive gastritis, which can cause ulcers and bleeding in the stomach. Erosive gastritis is less common than non-erosive gastritis.
Symptoms of Gastritis
The symptoms of gastritis that are felt can be different for each patient. However, this condition may not always cause symptoms. Some examples of gastritis symptoms are:
- Pain that feels hot and stinging in the upper part of the stomach.
- Bloated.
- Hiccup.
- Nauseous.
- Throw up.
- Loss of appetite.
- Quickly feel full when eating.
- Passing stools with black stools.
- Vomiting blood.
If a person suffers from erosive gastritis that causes ulcers or bleeding in the stomach, the symptoms that appear are vomiting blood and black stools. However, not all abdominal pain is a sign of gastritis. Various diseases can also cause symptoms similar to gastritis, such as Crohn's disease, gallstones, and food poisoning. Therefore, a diagnosis to determine the cause of abdominal pain is very important to do.
Causes of Gastritis
Gastritis occurs due to inflammation of the stomach wall. The stomach wall is composed of tissue that contains glands to produce digestive enzymes and stomach acid. In addition, the stomach wall can also produce thick mucus (mucus) to protect the gastric mucosal layer from damage caused by digestive enzymes and stomach acid. Damage to this protective mucus can cause inflammation of the gastric mucosa.
Some things that can cause damage to the protective mucus, are:
- Bacterial infection. Bacterial infection is one of the causes of gastritis which is quite common, especially in areas with poor environmental hygiene. There are many types of bacteria that can cause infection in the stomach and cause gastritis. However, the most common are bacteria Helicobacter pylori. Besides being influenced by environmental hygiene factors, this bacterial infection is also influenced by lifestyle and diet.
- Age increase. With age, the gastric mucosal layer will thin and weaken. This condition causes gastritis to occur more often in the elderly than in younger people.
- Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages can erode the mucous lining of the stomach, especially if a person consumes it very often. Erosion of the mucosal layer by alcohol can cause irritation and inflammation of the stomach wall, resulting in gastritis, especially acute gastritis.
- Too often taking pain medication. Pain relievers taken too often can inhibit the regeneration process of the gastric mucosal layer, which leads to injury and weakening of the stomach wall, making it more prone to inflammation. Some pain relievers that can trigger gastritis if taken too often are aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
- Autoimmune.Gastritis can also occur because it is triggered by an autoimmune disease. This type of gastritis is called autoimmune gastritis. Autoimmune gastritis occurs when the immune system attacks the stomach lining, causing inflammation.
In addition to the causes above, several other factors that can increase a person's risk of experiencing gastritis are:
- Crohn's disease.
- viral infection.
- Smoking habit.
- Parasitic infection.
- Bile reflux.
- Kidney failure.
- Cocaine use.
- Swallowing substances that are corrosive and can damage the stomach wall, such as insecticides.
Gastritis Diagnosis
Patients suspected of having gastritis will first undergo a medical history examination and physical examination by a doctor. The medical history examination includes asking about the symptoms that have appeared, how long they have been feeling, and the general health condition of the patient. For a more accurate diagnosis, the doctor will advise the patient to undergo a follow-up examination. Among them:
- Test for infectionHelicobacter pylori. Examples are a blood test, a stool sample test, or a urea test for breathing (urea breath test). In addition to detecting the presence of bacteria Helicobacter pylori, blood tests can also detect if the patient is anemic. The stool sample test can also detect if the patient has gastritis, especially erosive gastritis by detecting the presence of blood in the stool.
- Gastroscopy, to look for signs of inflammation in the stomach. Gastroscopy examination is done by inserting a special tube with a camera attached to the end. A tube is inserted into the stomach through the mouth, to see the condition of the stomach. This examination is sometimes combined with a biopsy, which is taking a sample of tissue in an area suspected of having inflammation, for further investigation in the laboratory. A biopsy can also be done to see the presence of bacteria pylori.
- Inspection Photo X-ray. This examination aims to see the condition of the upper digestive tract. To help see wounds in the digestive tract, especially the stomach, the patient will be asked to swallow barium liquid first before X-rays are taken.
Gastritis Treatment
Treatment given to patients by doctors, depending on the cause and conditions that affect the occurrence of gastritis. To treat gastritis and relieve the symptoms caused, doctors can give drugs in the form of:
- Antacids. Antacids can relieve gastritis symptoms (especially pain) quickly, by neutralizing stomach acid. This drug is effective in relieving the symptoms of gastritis, especially acute gastritis. Examples of antacid drugs that can be taken by patients are aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.
- Histamine 2 (H2 .) blocking drugs blocker). This drug is able to relieve the symptoms of gastritis by reducing the production of acid in the stomach. An example of a histamine 2 blocker is ranitidine, cimetidine, and famotidine.
- Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs. These drugs have the same goal as histamine 2 blockers, namely to reduce gastric acid production, but with a different mechanism of action. Examples of proton pump inhibitors are: omeprazole, lansoprazole, esomeprazole, rabeprazole, and pantoprazole.
- Antibiotics. This drug is prescribed to patients with gastritis caused by bacterial infection, namely: Helicobacter pylori. Examples of antibiotic drugs that can be given to people with gastritis are: amoxicillin, clarithromycin, tetracycline, and metronidazole.
- Antidiarrheal drugs. Given to patients with gastritis with complaints of diarrhea. An example of an antidiarrheal drug that can be given to people with gastritis is bismuth subsalicylate.
To help relieve symptoms and cure gastritis, patients need to adjust their lifestyle and habits. Patients will be advised to make a regular eating pattern and schedule. Patients who often eat large portions, will be advised to change the portions into small portions, so that the eating schedule becomes more frequent than usual. In addition, patients should avoid oily, sour, or spicy foods, to prevent gastritis symptoms from getting worse.
If you frequently consume alcoholic beverages, the patient will be advised to reduce or even stop the habit. Stress can also be a trigger for this condition. Therefore, patients are advised to control their stress levels, in order to help recovery.
If symptoms of gastritis often recur due to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the patient should consult a doctor about this.
Gastritis Complications
Complications from gastritis can occur if this condition is not treated. Some of them are:
- Stomach ulcer.
- Bleeding in the stomach.
- Stomach cancer.