Gastritis with low acidity - symptoms

Gastritis with a low acidity is considered a more serious type of inflammation of the gastric mucosa than with normal or increased acidity. Due to reduced acidity, which is associated with secretory deficiency of the body, the eaten food almost directly contacts the walls of the stomach, which leads to their defeat and pathological atrophic changes. Therefore, this type of disease is also called atrophic gastritis with low acidity. With this diagnosis, the acidity in the middle of the stomach (body) exceeds 5 units. pH.

The lack of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice causes a violation of the processes of digestion of food and digestion of nutrients, impairment of intestinal peristalsis, leads to fermentation, negatively affects the state of other organs of the gastrointestinal tract. All this, of course, makes itself felt by a number of unpleasant symptoms.

Symptoms of gastritis with low acidity

This type of disease is characterized by the following manifestations:

• a bad, putrid odor from the mouth;
• nausea in the morning;
• a feeling of heaviness, dull pain in the stomach after a meal;
• eructation with an unpleasant odor;
• heartburn;
• metallic taste in the oral cavity;
• bloating;
• flatulence;
• irregular stools, constipation;
• undigested remains of food in the feces;
• increased salivation;
• decreased appetite;
• presence of a white coating on the tongue.

In the future, with the progression of pathological processes to the aforementioned symptoms of gastritis with a decreased acidity of the stomach, signs of developing anemia are often added:

• decreased body weight;
• inflammation of the oral mucosa;
• jam at the corners of the lips;
• hair loss;
• skin peeling;
• brittle nail plates.

In the case of a chronic form of the disease, patients can also complain of general weakness, increased sweating, palpitations, dizziness occurring after eating. Often manifestations of pathology are accompanied by signs of intolerance to dairy products.

Diagnosis of gastritis with low acidity

An accurate diagnosis can not be made solely on the basis of clinical manifestations, for this, some studies are required:

• Fibrogastroduodenoscopy with targeted biopsy;
• analysis of gastric juice, selected by sounding, or by intragastric pH-metry;
• blood chemistry;
• studies of feces and urine.