What is hyperacid gastritis?Why does almost half of the world's population suffer from it? If you translate this disease name from Latin, it will sound something like this: inflammation of the stomach (gastritis), which is accompanied by increased acidity. From your school anatomy course, you know that the stomach produces digestive "juices", including hydrochloric acid (in very small quantities). An acidic environment is essential for digesting many foods. However, there are situations when too much acid is produced, and it begins to "corrode" the walls of the stomach itself. Excess acid (called increased acidity) can cause a lot of trouble for the patient. Its most "innocent" manifestation is gastritis, but there are also more formidable ones, such as a stomach ulcer. If you do not seriously treat gastritis, it can be complicated by an ulcer, and it is much more difficult to treat, sometimes you even have to do a surgical operation.
How does a hyperacid gastritis manifest itself?
Let's look at the symptoms of this insidious disease.First of all, it is characterized by pain in the stomach area, it is also called pain "under the spoon". It is aching, pulling in nature and occurs most often on an empty stomach. After eating, the pain decreases, but after an hour and a half they appear again - until you eat again. What is "heartburn" and where does it come from Gastritis is often accompanied by a burning sensation in the stomach (it is called "heartburn"), and in cases where acid is "thrown" into the esophagus, the burning can also be behind the breastbone. By the way, pain and burning behind the breastbone is also one of the signs of acute myocardial infarction. Therefore, when these symptoms appear suddenly, against the background of complete health, you should be wary and immediately do a cardiogram. Heartburn can begin after eating black bread, fresh pastries, smoked or fried foods, halva or sour fruits. Such a diet, if used constantly, leads to frequent exacerbations of the disease. It happens that intense physical exercise leads to increased production of gastric juice, including hydrochloric acid. In these cases, patients also feel heartburn and pain in the upper abdomen. What other signs of hyperacid gastritis are known to doctors? Doctors often pay attention to the following signs of gastritis:
- White or gray coating on the tongue, while the tongue is often bright red;
- appetite persists, but there is nausea or vomiting after eating;
- increased irritability;
- muscle spasms;
- sweating.
The symptoms of hyperacid gastritis are varied,intestinal peristalsis may decrease, as a result of which the patient suffers from constipation. When the doctor questions the patient, it is important that he or she tells about all the symptoms so that the doctor can get a complete picture of the disease. Of course, then you will need to undergo an examination: take a blood and urine test, do a probing to find out the acidity of the gastric juice. This unpleasant but necessary procedure allows you to clarify the picture of the disease, its stage. If the acidity is very high, then it is likely that the gastric mucosa already has ulcers. Symptoms - severe pain and frequent, prolonged heartburn - indicate the possibility of an ulcerative process. In such cases, FGS (fibrogastroscopy) of the stomach is mandatory. A flexible long endoscope is inserted through the mouth directly into the patient's stomach. The doctor immediately sees the entire mucosa, assesses its condition and prescribes treatment accordingly. Symptoms such as increased irritability, suspiciousness, anxiety are present in most patients with hyperacid gastritis. There is even a stress theory of the origin of this disease. According to this theory, acidity increases in response to stress (remember student gastritis, which worsened before the session). And diet alone cannot cure this disease, sedatives are needed. Gastritis is definitely one of those diseases about which they say that "it's all from nerves".
How to treat a hyperacid gastritis
The stress theory is not the only one,which explains the increased acidity in the stomach. In the last century, scientists discovered a bacterium (Helicobacter pylori) and announced that it was what caused hyperacid gastritis. After that, patients with gastritis began to be prescribed antibiotics with the addition of conventional antacids (reducing acidity). After such treatment, the symptoms of gastritis really do subside quickly. An appropriate diet is prescribed, and the treatment is considered complete. But the insidiousness of this disease is that after some time it can manifest itself again, and with the same force. Then gastritis is called chronic, the diet is followed for life, and the treatment of seasonal exacerbations is carried out according to the usual scheme. Many patients have studied their disease so well that they know when an exacerbation is approaching and prescribe treatment for themselves. Doctors do not advise self-medication, because gastritis gives such complications as an ulcer, and you can’t joke with it. But the patient will not be able to independently determine an ulcer in himself, which threatens internal bleeding.
What can I do on my own in case of chronic gastritis?
If drug treatment is still necessaryprescribed by a doctor, then such a simple thing as a diet can be followed by the patient independently. The diet of a patient with hyperacid gastritis is quite strict. It is forbidden to eat fried and smoked foods, you also need to be careful with fatty foods. You cannot eat sour fruits and vegetables, fresh white bread. In addition to prohibited foods, a diet for gastritis suggests that you need to eat fractionally, often and little by little. You cannot allow a state of severe hunger, breaks between meals should be 3-4 hours. Here are the foods recommended for this disease:
- milk soups from cereals and vermicelli, in which you can add non-acidic vegetables (cabbage is prohibited!);
- low-fat meat;
- eggs only soft-boiled or in the form of an omelet;
- steamed cutlets, fish, vegetables;
- jellies and compotes;
- milk is recommended to drink at least 3 glasses a day (if there is no problem with its tolerability);
- very useful butter and vegetable fats.
By following all the doctor's instructions for taking medications and following a diet, gastritis can be kept under control, preventing exacerbations.
