Many people may confuse reflux and gastritis with each other. However, reflux and gastritis are separate diseases, and sometimes these two diseases can be encountered in a person. Gastritis is an inflammation of the tissue that lines the inner surface of the stomach, which we call mucosa, resulting from an increase in stomach acidity and a decrease in the factors that protect the stomach from acid. Gastro esophageal reflux is the pathological reflux of stomach contents (acid) from the stomach into the esophagus.
Gastritis symptoms include stomach pain, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite and indigestion. The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to reflux symptoms is the burning sensation that occurs when spicy, fatty foods, chocolate, alcohol or freshly squeezed fruit juices are consumed, spreads from the stomach to the throat, and occurs mostly after eating. Stomach contents coming into the mouth, bad breath, difficulty swallowing, painful swallowing, burping, hiccups, nausea and vomiting are other complaints that can be seen with reflux. Reflux; It can also cause symptoms in systems other than the esophagus, stomach and intestinal system. Reflux can cause cough, hoarseness, tooth decay, sore throat, earache and even pneumonia, and may trigger allergic asthma in the patient.
Gastritis should be treated at an early stage
Although gastritis can be seen at all ages, it usually occurs in adults. It is examined in two separate groups: acute, that is, gastritis that suddenly develops, and chronic, that is, gastritis that develops slowly over a long period of time. While alcohol, aspirin, painkillers and stress often cause acute gastritis; The bacterium called Helicobacter pylori, which lives on the inner wall of the stomach and is usually transmitted from dirty water drunk in childhood, is the most important cause of chronic gastritis. Gastritis, which is a problem for many people today, can also be caused by bile reflux and some infections. In cases of untreated chronic gastritis, various tissue changes may occur in the inner wall of the stomach, and this paves the way for cancer in the long term in people with genetic predisposition and exposure to carcinogenic substances.
Although the symptoms of gastritis vary from patient to patient, they generally include heartburn, heartburn, pain, nausea, vomiting, feeling of bloating, belching, early satiety, loss of appetite Complaints such as hunger and disgust with food. It is recommended that patients with such complaints consult a gastroenterologist.
The most important treatment of gastritis consists of lifestyle changes, dietary recommendations and drug therapy. Lifestyle and diet recommendations that these patients should follow; They should not eat fast, should chew their food well and swallow it, should not smoke or consume alcohol, should avoid consuming fried foods, excessively fatty foods and spicy foods, should avoid processed foods such as soudjouk/salami/sausages, should avoid extremely hot and cold foods and carbonated drinks, should replace carbonated drinks with Drinking water and eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Drug treatment of gastritis should be planned by the gastroenterologist according to the cause of gastritis.
If reflux is not treated, it can progress with serious complications
The most important point in reflux treatment is to make changes in lifestyle. . While many people can keep reflux under control by making lifestyle changes or taking medications, some patients require surgical intervention. The first stage of reflux treatment is usually done with medications that suppress stomach acid and lifestyle changes. Obesity increases intra-abdominal pressure and aggravates reflux by putting pressure on the stomach. That's why he's sick; They should lose their excess weight, quit smoking, not wear tight clothes, stay away from fatty foods or fried foods, tomato paste, alcohol, chocolate, spices, especially mint, raw onions and garlic, and coffee.
Since each person's sensitivity is different. The best option for reflux diet is for the patient to stay away from the trigger food he/she notices. During the reflux diet, eating small bites and not sleeping immediately after eating is also the answer to the question "what is good for reflux?" At least 3 hours must pass after the meal before you can lie down or sleep. You should not eat or drink anything for the last two hours before going to bed. In addition to the reflux diet, keeping your upper body higher than your waist while sleeping can prevent reflux from occurring thanks to gravity. Especially those with nocturnal reflux should pay attention to this. High pillows placed under the head do not help reflux. It is high from the waist Beds adjusted to fit can be good for reflux.
Upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy is the gold standard in diagnosing gastritis. In these procedures performed by gastroenterology physicians, gastritis can be diagnosed by direct endoscopic examination, and the cause of gastritis can be determined with gastric mucosa biopsies taken at the size of a pinhead, which the patient will never feel during endoscopy.
In the diagnosis of reflux, the cause of gastritis can be determined, which can facilitate the escape from the stomach to the esophagus. Whether there is a loose stomach valve or a hiatal hernia can be detected by endoscopy, and moreover, linear acid burns caused by stomach acid can be seen in the esophagus.
Although upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy is a guide for the diagnosis of reflux, the gold standard of reflux diagnosis is food. It is a capsule pH meter that enables long-term acid measurements (pH measurement) in the tube and is extremely comfortable for the patient. Thanks to the signals sent by 'Bluetooth' technology from this acidity measurement capsule, which is left in the esophagus during endoscopy and spontaneously leaves the body with normal defecation after 3 days, acidity measurement can be made for 48 hours and thus whether the patient has reflux or not, and if so, whether the treatment is medication, endoscopy or It can be understood whether surgery is required or not.
After the diagnosis of reflux is made, the patient will not be able to use drug treatment for a long time or the drug treatment will be inadequate in order to minimize the risk of possible esophageal cancer in the long term. Endoscopic reflux treatment (anti-reflux mucosectomy – ARM) can be recommended for patients with reflux, and reflux surgery (fundoplication) can be recommended for patients with reflux due to hiatal hernia, after the gastroenterologist decides on the appropriate treatment method for the patient.
Read: 0
