Among the many forms of gastritis, catarrhal (simple) is the most common and easiest, however, if untimely or untreated, it can develop into a more severe form. With this type of disease, the inflammatory process affects the uppermost layer of the gastric mucosa, and after the cessation of the effect of the irritating factor it is quickly restored.
Causes of catarrhal gastritis
The main cause of inflammation in the catarrhal form of gastritis is malnutrition: consumption of large amounts of fried, fatty and spicy foods, overeating, fast food, irregular eating, the use of stale or poor-quality products, etc. Damage to the gastric mucosa is facilitated by improper and uncontrolled administration of certain medicines (eg, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ).
Provoking factors can also be:
- infectious lesions;
- stress;
- alcohol abuse.
Types of catarrhal gastritis
Catarrhal gastritis usually has an acute course, in which the mucous membrane of the stomach is characterized by thickening, swelling, hyperemia, as well as the presence of mucous masses on its surface and multiple minor hemorrhages. With repeated repetition of damaging factors, as well as with inadequate treatment of acute catarrhal gastritis, the process can take a chronic form. In this case, there will be periodic exacerbations of the disease and periods of remission.
As a rule, the inflammatory process extends to the entire surface of the gastric mucosa, but if only a certain part of the tissue is affected, then a "focal catarrhal gastritis" is diagnosed.
One of the forms of catarrhal gastritis is reflux gastritis, which is associated with impaired gastric portal function and reverse peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract. In this type of disease, the contents of the intestine are cast back into the stomach, which causes the walls of the latter to become irritated.
Symptoms of catarrhal gastritis
In most cases, the manifestations of the disease are observed quickly - a few hours after the onset of the stimulus. Typical symptoms are:
- belching with a bitter taste;
- heartburn ;
- copious salivation;
- unpleasant, sour smell from the mouth;
- vomiting with undigested food pieces, mucus, bile;
- nausea;
- bloating;
- feeling of heaviness in the abdomen;
- diarrhea;
- blunt or cutting pain in the stomach;
- loss of appetite;
- weakness.
Treatment of catarrhal gastritis
The main stages of treatment for catarrhal form of gastritis are:
- elimination of irritant;
- gastric lavage and intestinal cleansing;
- reception of adsorbent drugs;
- the appointment of antibiotics in case of infection;
- taking painkillers and antispasmodics with pronounced pain;
- rehydration therapy in case of dehydration with frequent vomiting.
An essential condition for recovery in catarrhal gastritis is strict adherence to the diet. The food should be slightly warm, soft, free of spices and plenty of salt. Smoked meat, fried and fatty foods, confectionery, canned food, spices and other products that irritate the stomach are excluded.
With the permission of the doctor, catarrhal treatment can be supplemented with gastritis with folk remedies. For example, an effective method is to take the germinated wheat grains, ground with a meat grinder. It is recommended that every day during the month on an empty stomach eat 50 grams of grains mixed with vegetable oil.