Originally, I used to think that people who had ulcer were the ones that hated eating and probably liked too much pepper, and also I thought that the ulcer just came immediately without due warning or without a sign.
Little did I know that before a person suffered from ulcer, they usually got signs and symptoms and most likely would’ve had gastritis initially.
Now what is gastritis???
Gastritis can be defined as the inflammation of the stomach lining. And as a result can be caused by a number of things. But most often, it is caused by the same bacteria **Helicobacter pylori** , which causes stomach ulcer
Now from this definition, we can see that our focus is on the fact that gastritis is caused by the same bacteria as the one that causes stomach ulcer, which invariably means that, a person will initially have gastritis before having ulcer and improper care or management of the gastritis ultimately leads to ulcer.
Gastritis can be in an acute or chronic form i.e it can either occur gradually by wearing the stomach lining due to long / overuse of an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen.
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SYMPTOMS
My major reason for writing about this post is because I suffer from gastritis and the symptoms are so close to ulcer that they are taken as the same thing. The symptoms mainly includes
stomach pains,
chest burns,
weakness,
inability to pass out faeces,
indigestion,
loss of appetite etc.
These symptoms do not have a definite mode of appearing, they can appear gradually, or one after the other. Basically, they come irregularly. For myself, I normally have the symptoms if I have not eaten for over 5 hours, then the pain comes subtly initially and after a while it increases in its intensity.
CAUSATIVE FACTORS….
Basically, it caused by increased acidity in the stomach walls which is caused by a number of things;
- It could be caused by some bacteria, fungi, virus or parasite through an infection.
- It could also be caused by eating certain foods that are difficult to digest and also have high acidity such as beans, coffee or beverages (acidic ones), excessive stomach acid that is caused from stress, alcohol etc
- Also it can definitely be caused by delayed eating, or avoiding to eat altogether. In my case, I found it hard to eat during the day so I ended up eating majorly in the evening.
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TREATMENT /PREVENTION
The major method of preventing gastritis is by being cautious of our diet. This can be done by eating balanced diet and also ensuring that we eat fruits along with whatever we eat so as to avoid upsetting the pH of the stomach. We should also majorly try to avoid or at most reduce habits that can cause or aid it.
The treatment of gastritis is based on the mode with which it is contacted. But if a patient has been diagnosed with it already, then it is best to alter your diet to suit your body. Certain foods can be eaten to help your body fight against it, if you have been diagnosed with it and its cause is due to delayed eating or intake of acidic beverages or food items.
Such foods include mainly
- fibre foods,
- foods rich in flavonoids like apple, onion, garlic etc
- vegetables
- brown rice
- grains
- organic meats
- Drink water daily at least 5 glasses of water a day
Also for pregnant women, it is advised you see a doctor before taking any drug for the treatment of gastritis as some drugs are known to have some severe side effects.
Also many a time, the doctor prescribes an antacid for the patient which helps to neutralize the effect of the stomach acids. So we should all endeavour to ensure we are in great shape and health. And we should try as much as possible to see our doctors before taking any drugs.
As for myself, I am better now and have adjusted my diet as well as taken the medication given to me for the treatment of the ailment.
Thanks for reading.