Allergic gastritis - signs, causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention

Gastroenterologist

Neronov

Vladimir Alexandrovich

23 years of experience

Gastroenterologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences

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Gastritis is an inflammatory disease of the stomach, during which the mucous membrane is affected due to the influence of various factors. Gastritis of the stomach belongs to the category of common diseases that currently occur not only in adults, but also in children (superficial gastritis). Adult gastritis of the stomach is more common in middle-aged and elderly people.

Experts identify the following forms of the disease:

acute form, which occurs suddenly against the background of irritants;
a chronic form that occurs over time due to improper lifestyle and diet.

Depending on many factors, erosive gastritis, biliary, hypertrophic or peaty gastritis can be diagnosed. Acute forms of the disease are divided into purulent, necrotic, diphtheric, and simple. Depending on the acidity of the stomach during gastritis, the following are distinguished:

gastritis with high acidity;
gastritis with low acidity.

Symptoms and signs of gastritis

They help identify gastritis symptoms depending on the type of disease:

acute gastritis begins suddenly, often after food poisoning; sharp pain with gastritis is felt in the solar plexus area. The pain may intensify when taking foods that irritate the gastric mucosa. The main symptoms of gastritis of the stomach: heartburn, vomiting, belching, frequent release of gas, bloating, headache, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, increased salivation or extreme thirst;
Chronic gastritis is sluggish. If chronic gastritis is diagnosed, the symptoms in adults may vary, but generally this pathology is characterized by belching with a characteristic odor, constant heartburn, a feeling of pain and heaviness, loss of appetite, diarrhea or constipation, coating on the tongue, and weight loss. Due to the fact that the signs of gastritis of the stomach depend on the type of pathology, only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. In the chronic form, nutrition plays an important role in gastritis.

Depending on the form and type of gastritis, symptoms and treatment vary significantly, so the best solution for the patient is to immediately consult a doctor.

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Classification

Chronic gastritis is divided into:

Form of bronchitis	Description
Autoimmune form (type A)	A rather rare pathology, characterized by the death of a large number of mucosal cells in all parts of the stomach. The reason for the development is a disruption of the immune system. The body's protective cells perceive normal healthy mucosal cells as foreign. They begin to produce specific antibodies that actively fight against them.
Bacterial form (type B)	It develops against the background of damage to the stomach wall by the Helicobacter bacterium. Infection often becomes the cause of the development of erosive gastritis.
Chemical form (type C)	Causes: reflux of bile into the stomach, long-term use of NSAIDs, operations performed on the gastrointestinal tract, congenital or acquired pyloric insufficiency (valve between the yolk and duodenum). Characterized by an increase in histamine levels. As a result, the alkalinity of bile increases. By acting on the walls of the stomach, bile provokes inflammation, the formation of erosions, and bleeding.
Mixed form of gastritis (type A and B)	Acidity can be low or high.

There are two forms of chronic gastritis: superficial and atrophic. In superficial cases, the upper layers of the mucous membrane are affected. In 98% of cases, this type is not accompanied by pathological changes in the glands. The atrophic form is more severe. It is characterized by serious consequences - the wall of the stomach becomes thinner, the number of glands decreases. All these processes lead to secretory insufficiency.

Causes

Gastritis of the stomach occurs and develops for a variety of reasons, the main ones being non-microbial and bacterial factors. Experts call the main cause of the disease the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, detected in 80% of cases, fungi and other bacteria. When bacteria enter the mucous membrane, they release substances that lead to the onset of the inflammatory process.

Other causes of pathology include:

unhealthy diet: incorrect eating regimen, incorrectly selected diet, frequent consumption of spicy, fatty, refined foods, lack of plant fiber;
excessive alcohol consumption;
uncontrolled use of medications, including non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs;
infection of the body with worms;
frequent stressful situations;
allergic reactions to foods and substances;
metabolic disease.

Gastritis can also appear in adults due to excessive physical and emotional stress. One of the conditions for recovery is following the menu prescribed by the doctor for gastritis.

Making the correct diagnosis

Inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation do not play a decisive role in recognizing the disease.

Complications

The main cause of complications is the chronic form of the disease. If signs of chronic gastritis appear, but the patient does not consult a doctor, the following complications may occur:

anemia;
atrophic gastritis;
leptic ulcers;
benign or malignant tumors on the mucosa.

The only way to restore health is to promptly consult a qualified doctor who will give recommendations on how to treat gastritis. Taking pills for gastritis on your own is not recommended, so as not to provoke an exacerbation of the disease and its transition to a severe form. The likelihood of complications depends on what patients with chronic gastritis eat.

Diet for chronic gastritis

When treating chronic gastritis, patients are prescribed a gentle diet, the preparation of which takes into account the acidity of gastric juice. The main goal of the diet for chronic gastritis is to minimize thermal, mechanical, and chemical irritation of the stomach, reduce inflammation and stimulate the healing processes of the mucous membrane.

During exacerbations of chronic gastritis, it is necessary to avoid eating too hot or too cold food; it is recommended to steam or boil food, serve it in a liquid or puree state. The diet can include lean meat and fish, eggs, cereals, and rosehip decoction. It is necessary to exclude the consumption of coffee, carbonated drinks, chocolate, raw vegetables and fruits, flour products, fermented milk products, fatty, fried foods, and spices.
During the period of remission of chronic gastritis, split meals are recommended for patients with high acidity. Products that can stimulate the secretion of hydrochloric acid, such as meat broths, alcoholic beverages, tea, and strong coffee, are excluded from the diet. Also excluded are spicy, smoked, fatty, fried foods, canned food, and some vegetables (onions, radishes, white cabbage, sorrel).

During remission, patients with chronic gastritis with low acidity are not recommended to consume foods that linger in the stomach for a long time (for example, flour products, rice). You should also refrain from eating hot, spicy, smoked foods that irritate the gastric mucosa.

When to see a doctor

You should consult a doctor if you feel severe pain with gastritis of the stomach, since exacerbation of gastritis can cause a serious deterioration in health with an increase in the area of mucosal damage and transition to an ulcerative state. Gastritis is especially dangerous if there is increased acidity, since the juice tends to corrode the mucous membrane of the organ, resulting in the formation of ulcers. If, based on a number of signs, the patient has identified an exacerbation of gastritis, the symptoms of which are nausea to vomiting, complete loss of appetite, fever up to 39 degrees Celsius and severe pain, you should make an appointment with a specialist as quickly as possible.

Gastritis, the symptoms and treatment of which may vary in adults, is diagnosed by a gastroenterologist. The Center for Modern Medicine JSC "Medicine" (academician Roitberg's clinic) in Moscow offers diagnostic and treatment services for all types of gastritis using modern medical devices and drugs. More complete information on the topic “gastritis and its treatment in adults” can be obtained by clicking on the link. Our clinic is located at 2nd Tverskoy-Yamskaya Lane, building 10, a 5-minute walk from the Mayakovskaya metro station.

Low or high acidity

With increased acidity of the stomach, excessive production of hydrochloric acid is observed. It not only digests food, but also irritates the mucous membrane. High acidity is especially insidious during periods of famine. The acid kills beneficial bacteria and causes ulcers to form on the surface of the stomach.

A person experiences the following symptoms:

Belching sour;
Unpleasant sour taste in the mouth;
Severe heartburn;
Burning in the stomach and esophagus;
Hunger pain that occurs on an empty stomach and goes away immediately after eating.

Gastritis with high acidity can be recognized by other signs:

Arrhythmia;
Irritability, depression;
Drowsiness, fatigue;
Decreased blood pressure;
Heartache.

With low acidity, little hydrochloric acid is formed in the stomach. Its quantity is not enough for complete digestion of food. This leads to the fact that the food lies in a lump at the bottom of the stomach and begins to rot.

As a result, the patient experiences the following symptoms:

Diarrhea;
Bad breath, rotten taste;
Nausea present all day;
Bloating, flatulence, colic;
Feeling of hardness in the stomach area;
Aching pain in the pit of the stomach immediately after eating;
Unpleasant belching of air immediately after eating;
Poor appetite, requires a small portion of food to feel full;
In advanced cases, vomiting of undigested pieces of food.

The listed symptoms are concomitant signs of the presence of chronic gastritis. But they can also indicate a number of other diseases, so you should not make a diagnosis yourself, relying only on sensations.

Treatment

When gastritis is diagnosed, treatment and medications are prescribed by a specialist, taking into account the course of the disease and the patient’s condition. A gastroenterologist selects a medicine for gastritis based on the examination results strictly individually. A prerequisite for recovery is a properly selected diet for gastritis; the menu for patients is developed by the doctor, taking into account the age and condition of the patient, and lifestyle. During the consultation, the doctor will tell you in detail about what you can eat with gastritis and what you cannot eat with gastritis.

Consequences of gastritis

Gastritis (with the exception of phlegmonous gastritis) does not belong to the group of dangerous diseases. However, gastritis gives rise to dangerous complications:

Stomach bleeding
Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum,
Stomach cancer.

The effect of gastritis on the body as a whole is explained by a disorder of the digestive process. Patients with gastritis begin to “fear food”, lose weight, some vomit most of the food they eat, or suffer from heartburn after eating. Against the background of gastritis, vitamin deficiency and anemia often develop.

How to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist

You can make an appointment with a gastroenterologist at our multidisciplinary medical center at 2nd Tverskoy-Yamskaya Lane, building 10 in the following ways:

use the form on the website;
use the phone +7 (495) 775-73-60 around the clock.

JSC "Medicine" (clinic of academician Roitberg) also offers services to call a gastroenterologist at home and by phone +7 (495) 775-73-60 around the clock.

JSC "Medicine" (clinic of academician Roitberg) is located a 5-minute walk from the "Mayakovskaya" metro station.

Types of disease

Currently, there are several classifications of gastritis. Based on the nature and extent of the lesions, the following common forms of pathology are distinguished:

Superficial is the safest form of gastritis, in which the mucous and inner lining of the stomach becomes inflamed.
Chronic superficial - repeated inflammation of the mucous membrane. Chronic gastritis is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation.
Atrophic – a severe form of chronic gastritis, leading to atrophic changes in the mucosa.
Erosive is a form of gastritis in which the inflammatory process is accompanied by the appearance of erosions (superficial damage).
Anacidic - with low acidity, which is characterized by atrophy of gastric cells.

Gastritis or functional dyspepsia?

The term “gastritis” is usually used to refer to various inflammatory and degenerative changes in the gastric mucosa. But in fact, the disease itself is quite rare and can only be diagnosed using a biopsy during a gastroscopy procedure.

Often what is called gastritis is functional dyspepsia (a set of disorders of the digestive system). The term “gastritis” is also mistakenly used to mean gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Currently, the diagnosis of “gastritis” is usually made in the presence of morphological signs discovered after undergoing a series of medical examinations, in particular, after laboratory identification of the main causative agent of the disease - the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. Pilory), histological studies and FGDS.

Prevention

Prevention of gastritis consists of following the following recommendations:

Balanced diet.
Body weight control.
Quitting bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse).
Control of emotional state (avoidance of stress).
Timely treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.

For patients with chronic gastritis, it is important to follow the doctor’s recommendations to avoid exacerbations and relapses. For this purpose, such people need to visit a gastroenterologist twice a year.