Question

A 50-year-old man has been suffering from substernal pain for the last 5 months, particularly on waking up in the morning. He lost his job a year ago and was suffering from depression. He consumes about 12–16 cans of beer every day. He has lost his appetite too and says that eating aggravates pain.

• Is this acute or chronic gastritis?
• What factors may lead to the development of gastritis?
• What investigation should be performed?
• How can the patient be treated?

Answer 1

A. The patient is having chronic gastritis. The condition was agrevated throughout the time period of about 5 months. And it is long lasting along with symptom aggravation.so the patient condition is cheonic gastritis.

If the patient was having acute gastritis then the patient might have cured within 10 to 14 days.

B. factors that causes gastritis:

* Alcohol consumption

* Age ( ageing causes thinning of lining of stomach.)

* Stress

* Chronic vomiting

* Use of certain medicines like aspirin and other NSAID's anti inflammatory agents.

* H.Pylori bacteria infection

* infection - Bacterial and viral ( transmitted through contaminated food and water)

* Due to the bile reflux ( the backflow of bile content into the stomach)

* use of coccaine

* Tobacco use

* autoimmune disorders

* Pernicious anemia

* digestive disorders like chrohns disease

C. Investigations

* physical examination and detailed history collection

* Blood test

* stool test for diagnosing H .pylori infection

* Urea Breath test

* Endoscopy

* Barium test( barium swallowing and x- ray imaging)

D. Treatment methods for gastritis:

● If the cause of the disease is use of NSAID's then it must be withheld or stopped

● Alcohol consumption should be avoided

● Antibiotics to treat H.pylori infection

●Proton pump inhibitors like omaprezole

● Administer antacids

● Administer probiotics. To recover the intact lining of the digestive tract

● Avoid hot and spicy foods

● Avoid irritating foods like lactose from diary products and gluten from wheat

● if the cause is pernicious anemia then vitamin B12 should be administered.