Enanthematous gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach wall that can be caused by an infection with bacteria H. pyloriautoimmune diseases, excessive alcohol consumption or frequent use of medications such as aspirin, anti-inflammatories or corticosteroids.
Enanthematous gastritis, also known as enanthematous pangastritis, is classified according to the affected region of the stomach and the severity of the inflammation. Enanthematous gastritis of the antrum (antral) means that the inflammation occurs in the final part of the stomach, which can be mild, when the inflammation is still in its infancy, or severe, when it causes more serious symptoms.
It is important that a gastroenterologist is consulted as soon as symptoms suggestive of gastritis are noticed, such as pain and burning in the stomach, gas and frequent belching, vomiting and poor digestion. This way, the doctor will be able to recommend tests to confirm the diagnosis and begin the most appropriate treatment.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of enanthematous gastritis are:
- Pain and burning in the stomach;
- Asia;
- Nausea;
- Indigestion;
- Frequent gas and belching;
- Lack of appetite;
- Vomiting or retching;
- Headache and malaise.
Symptoms tend to appear after meals, and can last up to about 2 hours.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of enanthematous gastritis is normally made by a gastroenterologist through an endoscopy exam, through which the doctor can visualize the internal part of the stomach and identify inflammation in the walls of the organ.
In cases where the doctor identifies changes in the gastric mucosa, a biopsy may also be recommended to determine whether there is infection by some type of microorganism such as H. Pylori. Understand how endoscopy is performed and what happens during this exam.
Make an appointment with your nearest gastroenterologist to investigate your risk of enanthematous gastritis:
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Possible causes
The main causes of enanthematous gastritis are:
- Bacterial infection Helicobacter pylori;
- Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
- Autoimmune diseases;
- Frequent use and/or without medical indication of medications, such as anti-inflammatories and corticosteroids.
These factors can cause inflammation of the stomach wall and result in the appearance of symptoms. See more about gastritis and its main causes.
How the treatment is carried out
Treatment of enanthematous gastritis is only carried out in the presence of symptoms and when it is possible to know the cause of the gastritis. Thus, the doctor may recommend the use of antacid medications, such as Pepsamar or Mylanta, to reduce stomach acidity, or medications that inhibit the production of acid in the stomach, such as omeprazole, for example.
If the disease is caused by H. pylori, the gastroenterologist may recommend the use of antibiotics, which should be used as directed by the doctor. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the inflammation and the causes of the gastritis, but in most cases a cure is achieved within a few weeks or months.
Furthermore, it is important to stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, in addition to changing eating habits, avoiding fatty foods that irritate the intestine, such as pepper, red meat, bacon, sausage, fried foods, chocolate and caffeine, for example. .
Check out the following video on how to eat for gastritis:
Enanthematous gastritis turns into cancer?
It has been proven that when gastritis is caused by bacteria H. Pylori in the stomach, you are 10 times more likely to develop cancer. This does not mean that all patients who have this bacteria will develop the disease, because there are many other factors involved, such as genetics, smoking habits, diet and other lifestyle habits. Know what to eat if you have gastritis caused by H. pylori.
Before gastritis turns into cancer, stomach tissue goes through several transformations that can be observed through endoscopy and biopsy. The first transformation is that of normal tissue for gastritis, which is transformed into chronic non-atrophic gastritis, atrophic gastritis, metaplasia, dysplasia, and only after that, it transforms into cancer.
The best way to avoid this is to follow the treatment recommended by your doctor, stop smoking and eat an adequate diet. After controlling the symptoms, it may be advisable to return to the doctor in about 6 months to evaluate the stomach. If you have not yet managed to control your stomach pain and poor digestion, you can use other medications recommended by your doctor until the gastritis is cured.
Bibliography
- MEGHA, R.; FAROOQ, U.; LOPEZ, P. P. IN: STATPEARLS (INTERNET). TREASURE ISLAND (FL): STATPEARLS PUBLISHING. Stress-Induced Gastritis. 2023. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499926/>. Accessed on 10 Nov 2023
- KOLOPAKING, M. S. Urease, Gastric Bacteria and Gastritis. Acta Med Indonesia. 54. 1; 1-2, 2022
- MASSIRONI, S.; et al. The changing face of chronic autoimmune atrophic gastritis: an updated comprehensive perspective.. Autoimmun Rev. 18. 3; 215-222, 2019
- BACHA, D.; et al. Chronic gastritis classifications. Tunis Med. 96. 7; 405-410, 2018
- AZER, S. A.; AKHONDI, H. IN: STATPEARLS (INTERNET). TREASURE ISLAND (FL): STATPEARLS PUBLISHING. Gastritis. 2023. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544250/>. Accessed on 10 Nov 2023
- YANG, H.; HU, B. Immunological Perspective: Helicobacter pylori Infection and Gastritis. Mediators Inflamm. 2022. 2944156, 2022
