Gastritis is an unpleasant disease that is feared since childhood, because it is considered “a punishment” for any bad habits. There is a popular belief that everyone who leads the unhealthy lifestyle is at risk. The people even nicknamed gastritis “the disease of students”. But in fact, everyone can face a problem, because in most cases, inflammation is caused by bacterial infection.
Many people think that gastritis is caused by unhealthy diet, stress, coffee and cigarette abuse. However, this is not quite true. Almost all people have bad habits, which, of course, cause enormous harm to health. The digestive system also suffers from bad habits, but their importance in the formation of a disease such as gastritis is greatly exaggerated.
With the development of medicine, ideas about the causes of disorders of the stomach have changed greatly. Even in our time, it cannot be said that a disease such as gastritis is fully studied.
Among a large number of various studies on this topic, the discovery of the H.pylori, made in the late 80s of the last century, is of particular interest. It turned out that this bacterium is the main threat to the stomach.
It is a microbe that causes inflammation. It enters the body with saliva. Absolutely everyone can become its victim, no matter how healthy their lifestyle. In addition, the consequences of infection can be not only gastritis, but also ulcers.
Scientists do not deny the likelihood developing gastritis due to factors such as excessive alcohol consumption and the effects of drugs. But they noted that such risks can be assessed as minimal when compared with the role of the insidious bacterium H.pylori.
You can get rid of dangerous microbial contamination only with the help of a course of antibiotics (such as Clamycin or Claribid), which must be prescribed by the attending physician. Therefore, at the first suspicion of gastritis, it is necessary to consult a specialist. The family doctor or gastroenterologist deals with problems with the digestive system; it is he who should become the main assistant in the fight against the disease.
The main symptoms are pain and heaviness in the abdomen. As a rule, the discomfort occurs at night. It can appear on an empty stomach and after eating, as well as be accompanied by vomiting. Often there is a decrease in appetite. The main location of pain is the upper abdomen, but migration to other directions is also possible.
At the same time, such symptoms can be caused not only by gastritis, but also by ulcers, as well as a number of other diseases that are not related to the digestive system.
Each individual case has its own characteristics and requires an individual treatment program. Do not rely on general recommendations that may not take into account the specifics of each patient. The attending physician will prescribe the necessary medications and diet, based on the tests results, as well as the patient’s personal medical history.
Strict adherence to the doctor’s recommendations will improve your well-being and allow you to return to a comfortable lifestyle. At the same time, ignoring the problem or trying to self-medicate is likely to be a source of new trouble rather than recovery.
If you experience regular abdominal pain while eating or immediately after eating, see your doctor.