We explain everything about gastritis, one of the most common chronic diseases.
Gastritis is an inflammatory disease that affects the inner lining of the stomach walls. This can be seen due to various processes, such as ongoing irritation or a stomach infection. If gastritis continues over time, it can cause serious damage to those affected, such as gastric or duodenal ulcers .
In this article we will discuss the causes of gastritis, what its symptoms are, what we can do to prevent it and how we can treat it if we suffer from it.
Gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach
The stomach is a hollow organ part of our digestive system. It is located in our abdominal cavity, just after the esophagus and before the duodenum, where the small intestine begins.
In the stomach, the food that we have chewed and swallowed is further broken down before reaching the intestine. This process is carried out by powerful stomach acids and enzymatic reactions, as well as muscular movements of the stomach itself that help further break down the food so that it can be processed more easily.
The strong stomach acids cause our stomach to require protection so as not to be damaged by them . This protection comes in the form of a layer of alkaline mucous, which protects the stomach lining from the acid they secrete.
When this mucosal barrier is altered for some reason, our stomach will be irritated and will suffer damage. The stomach inflammation that occurs as a result is called gastritis .
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Types of gastritis and their symptoms
There are mainly two types of gastritis , depending on the duration and type of symptoms that occur. Basically we will find acute gastritis , with more pronounced symptoms but that usually disappear without intervention, as well as chronic gastritis , whose symptoms are milder and intermittent but can cause great damage since they occur in the long term.
The symptoms of acute gastritis are basically:
- Stomachache
- feeling of full stomach
- Acidity
- Nausea sometimes accompanied by vomiting
- loss of appetite
- Stomach swelling.
These symptoms are very similar to those of other gastric diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastroenteritis, which makes diagnosing the disease somewhat difficult. In cases of chronic gastritis we will find similar symptoms but of a milder intensity, or even non-existent until the condition evolves.
Chronic gastritis can end up causing serious problems such as ulcers of the stomach and duodenum , which can cause bleeding and anemia. In addition, constant and periodic inflammation of the stomach can trigger stomach cancers, although the chances of the latter are not very high.
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Causes
There are several causes of gastritis. The most common are Helicobacter Pylori infections and the use of so-called NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), such as ibuprofen, diclofenac or acetylsalicylic acid (containing aspirin).
1. Helicobacter pylori
It is a bacterium that favors the production of stomach acids, while burrowing into the protective layer of the stomach mucosa to protect itself. This process causes stomach inflammation that can lead to gastritis and ulcers.
H.pylori infection is very common, affecting, for example, 40% of the German population. Despite its high presence in humans, it is estimated that only between 4 and 8% of those infected with H.pylori will develop gastric ulcers or gastritis .
The causes of this disparity between the numbers of infected and those who develop symptoms are not clear, but it is considered that it is a mixture of genetic and environmental factors, such as stress or smoking.
This bacterium is spread through saliva, vomit, or feces. It is common for the infection to occur during childhood, due to close contact with other members of the family circle.
2. NSAIDs
NSAIDs, as discussed above, are non-steroidal medications used to relieve pain and inflammation. Aspirin or ibuprofen are some of them. It is difficult for the short-term use of this medication to cause gastritis , but if we have a certain tendency to suffer from it or use them for a long period of time, they can cause it.
This is because part of the effect of NSAIDs blocks the hormone prostaglandin . One of the functions of this hormone is to modulate the protective mechanisms of the stomach wall, such as the production of the mucosal barrier. Also, if used in conjunction with steroids, the effects on the stomach can quickly become severe.
In addition to these main causes, the consumption of certain types of food, such as those that are too sugary, spicy, or with too much fat, can irritate our stomach lining , causing cases of acute gastritis. Smoking or excessive alcohol consumption are also factors that cause gastritis.
In rare cases, gastritis can be caused by bile reflux from the duodenum to the stomach. If the bile ascends to the stomach from the small intestine, it can irritate our stomach or degrade the stomach barriers.
Prevalence and prevention
Acute gastritis affects approximately 20% of the population in developed countries at some point in their lives . The risk of suffering from gastritis increases with age, although strangely it does so differently depending on the patient’s sex.
In women, the window of maximum incidence of acute gastritis is between 45 and 64 years of age, while the majority of men who suffer from cases of gastritis are people over 65 years of age.
We can prevent gastritis by avoiding H.pylori infections (with good hygienic practices, especially when cooking and eating), as well as avoiding long periods of stress, foods that irritate the stomach, or prolonged use of NSAID medications.
Treatment
In case of contracting gastritis, acute cases usually heal on their own (although H.Pylori infections require medical intervention with antibiotics). They can be treated in any way with medication that inhibits stomach acids, to reduce the severity of the irritation of our stomach.
Bibliographic references
- InformedHealth.org. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). Gastritis: Overview. [Updated 2018 June 28]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310265/.
- Sipponen, P., & Maaroos, HI (2015). Chronic gastritis. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 50(6), 657–667. doi:10.3109/00365521.2015.1019918.
- Muszyński, J., Ziółkowski, B., Kotarski, P., Niegowski, A., Górnicka, B., Bogdańska, M., … Siemińska, J. (2016). Gastritis – facts and doubts. Przeglad gastroenterologiczny, 11(4), 286–295. doi:10.5114/pg.2016.57793.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.
