It has always been thought that gastritis is an inflammatory disease of the gastric mucosa, which can be caused by improper diet and the effect of various irritating factors on the gastric mucosa. But in recent years there has been a lot of evidence that the development of this disease, which can cause various negative consequences, for the most part provokes the smallest microorganism.
He not only lives well, but also actively multiplies in the acidic environment of gastric juice. It is a bacterium Helicobacter pylori that gets into the digestive organs when a person does not observe certain rules of personal hygiene: with contaminated food, saliva or medical equipment that has not undergone sufficient sterilization treatment.
Causes of Helicobacter Gastritis
The main characteristic of bacterial gastritis is that this variety is an infectious disease. That is, the patient is infected with it from the outside, or by direct contact with a sick person( kissing, drinking from one bottle), or by failing to comply with the necessary hygiene measures( using cutlery that has not undergone sufficient heat treatment).
Infection with Helicobacter infection and development of gastritis in these cases occurs as follows:
- Helicobacter pylori, surrounded by an enzyme that neutralizes the action of hydrochloric acid of gastric juice, settles in the digestive system and begins its active development and reproduction;
- This bacterium has spiral cirri, with which it "drills" in certain places mucous and is attached to the epithelial tissue of the stomach wall;
- After successful "fixing" in a new place of residence, the harmful microorganism begins to actively feed on cells of the epithelial tissue, releasing toxic substances that are metabolic products. Such vital activity of Helicobakter pylori leads to destruction of the walls of the stomach and the occurrence of such a disease as hp associated gastritis;
- Damaged mucosal cells no longer have the ability to protect the walls of the digestive organ from the corrosive effects of acid, and as a result they produce a severe inflammation, which, with continued negative effects of this bacterium, first leads to the formation of erosive, often bleeding damage, and then turns into a ulcerativedisease.
Alarming Symptoms of Associated Helicobacter Gastritis
Helicobacter pylori - a gastritis arising from the harmful effects of this microorganism, has 3 stages of development, each of which is accompanied by certain symptoms.
The initial, having increased, or( which happens rarely enough) normal acidity. For her, the following general symptoms are typical:
- Epigastric pains occurring hours after 2 meals;
- Frequent burp with sour taste, turning into heartburn;
- Stool disorders( propensity to constipation).
Appetite is mostly not broken, only occasionally its increase is noted.
With the unfolded stage of Helicobacter pylori, the symptoms are the same, only their manifestation becomes more acute.
But for the last, chronic, stage of this helicobacter-associated gastritis, signs of atrophy, manifested in the mucosa of the digestive organ, will already be characteristic. Among them, the most common symptoms are as follows:
- Indigestion of the stomach( the severity that arises in it after taking even a small amount of food);
- Lack of appetite;
- Presence of diarrhea associated with the fact that the barrier function of hydrochloric acid is impaired;
- Having a rotten taste of eructation and metallic taste in the mouth;
- Significant weight loss.
Complaints of patients with gastritis Helicobacter pylori are completely similar to complaints of patients with gastric ulcer. These are hungry pains manifested in the morning( on an empty stomach), frequent constipation, belching sour, heartburn. If they do not pay timely attention and do not start the necessary treatment, the disease begins to progress very quickly.
The following signs of bacterial gastritis are added: nausea, mostly vomiting and having bloody inclusions in its composition, as well as bloating, which is caused by excessive gas production caused by the vital activity of Helicobakter pylori.
In the event that a person has at least one of the above signs, you should not hesitate to contact a specialist, and not write off that something may have been eaten with something not of high quality, and you need to drink a no-shpa to unpleasantthe symptoms stopped.
Only timely diagnosis of the gastrointestinal tract for the presence of Helicobacter pylori can allow to take all necessary measures in time, and prevent the transition of the disease to a more difficult stage. Modern methods of research suggest the accuracy of the determination of HP gastritis up to 99%.
Chronic, Associated Positive Gastritis
If the patient is diagnosed as a result of a diagnostic test that was diagnosed, this could only mean that the Helicobacter pylori heliobacter pylori form has become chronic,, and prone to seasonal exacerbations.
What is so dangerous about this diagnosis, and why is bacterial gastritis often called positive? This name comes from the accumulation of colonies of the pathological microorganism on the epithelium of the infected organ. In the case when it is of a moderate nature, the disease is called an associated positive Helicobacter pylori.
Chronic hp associated gastritis - predictions and perspectives
Hypothetically, the presence of a patient such a disease as gastritis Helicobacter pylori in its natural course can develop in 2 scenarios:
- Its long-existing chronic form will lead to the fact that the acid-forming function of the digestive organ will significantly decreasemost severe cases, it can completely stop), and this will require, in addition to the main treatment for the use of substitution therapy;
- In the second case, a malfunction of the cellular renewal will be observed in the mucosa. Accordingly, there will appear target cells, which are subject to strong influence of carcinogens, and eventually cell mutations will also occur. As a result, the normal epithelial tissue of the stomach will be replaced by neoplastic or metaplastic.
The result of both prognosis of development of Helicobacter pylori threatens the development of oncology or ulcers of the digestive organ.
Based on all of the above, it is worth remembering that the treatment of this disease is very complex and long enough. And the results can not always be predictable. There is also a high likelihood of relapse.
Therefore, all the symptoms and signs that may correspond to HP gastritis should be treated very carefully, and do not delay with a visit to the doctor for any manifestation of digestive discomfort.