Stress
Stress can be both cause and symptom of gastritis. On the one hand, it promotes and maintains the inflammation of the stomach lining. On the other hand, gastritis is a nuisance in everyday life and its symptoms can cause severe stress – whether through pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.
In clinical everyday life, the term “stress gastritis” is often used: physical stress caused by serious illnesses, injuries or operations can cause gastritis through the strain on the body and the release of stress hormones such as cortisone, especially if additional medication that damages the stomach is taken. In the family doctor’s practice, it can often be observed that people in situations of great psychological stress have short-term stomach problems. Frequent triggering situations are occupational problems, moving house, the sudden need for care of a relative, the loss of a close person, fears, etc. It is important to try to avoid stress in the long term or to cope with it better, in addition to the drug therapy of the gastritis. For this purpose, various relaxation techniques can be tried out or, if other possibilities fail, psychotherapy can be initiated.
Diarrhea
Fatigue is a very common state of mind and only pathological if it occurs very frequently, strongly or over a long period of time. It is rarely caused by an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach – much more often it is caused by another disease. The cause of fatigue is usually gastritis only in advanced stages of the chronic form of the disease.
Then small, unnoticed bleedings often cause anemia, also called anemia. In addition to fatigue, this often leads to paleness, which can first be noticed on the mucous membranes, and to listlessness. Anemia should be expected especially in autoimmune type A gastritis: Vitamin B12 can no longer be absorbed here.
This is however necessary for the production of red blood cells. Another possible cause of pathological fatigue in gastritis can be a painful, insufficient intake of fluids or food. Therefore, a drinking quantity of at least 2 liters per day should be ensured.
At the beginning, the temporal relationship gives an indication of whether gastritis is responsible for the fatigue. If it occurred shortly before or after the appearance of other symptoms of gastritis, or if it is not dependent on sleep behavior and the quality of sleep, this indicates that gastritis is the cause. Other common causes such as sleep disorders and sleep apnoea syndrome should always be considered and pathological fatigue should be clarified at the latest when it does not disappear despite improvement in the inflammation of the gastric mucosa.
Circulatory problems occur when the blood pressure drops too much. They include sudden dizziness, a feeling of weakness, “blackening before the eyes” and fainting. These symptoms, similar to fatigue, are not a common symptom of gastritis and are more likely to occur in later stages of the chronic form, in severe pain or after bleeding in the stomach.
It is important to seek medical clarification of the occurrence of circulatory problems in gastritis and to examine whether the blood or vitamin B-12 balance in the body has changed. To prevent circulatory problems, it is advisable to drink enough. Healthy people should drink at least 2 liters, athletes or other physically active people rather 3 liters of fluid per day.
If those affected notice the appearance of dizziness or blackening before their eyes in good time, they should lie down immediately so that they do not run the risk of falling in the event of a collapse. The legs should then be elevated.
