Symptoms

The typical leading symptom of gastritis is an unpleasant feeling of fullness in the upper abdomen. Vomiting and nausea as well as loss of appetite can occur. Diarrhea is also common with pronounced inflammation.

In some cases, burning pain in the upper stomach area may occur after eating. In acid-related gastritis type C, a gastric ulcer may develop in the long term. Typical for this form of chemical gastritis is a burning pain behind the breastbone.

It is not uncommon for esophagitis with similar symptoms to follow. This burning sensation can be permanent or closely related to eating or drinking. If the burning persists, eating can relieve the discomfort for some time.On the other hand, eating can be the trigger for the discomfort that starts a few minutes later.

Diagnosis

The basis for a diagnosis is the exact anamnesis of the patient’s complaints. Typical is a burning pain in the upper abdomen. The accompanying circumstances are indicative of type C gastritis.

Whether typical risk factors are present or whether a patient is under acute everyday stress can facilitate the diagnosis. A suspected gastritis is not sufficient for a final diagnosis. First, the doctor must perform a gastroscopy with the help of an endoscope.

During this procedure, the patient swallows a tube with light and a camera under anesthesia, allowing the doctor to look at and assess the mucous membrane of the stomach on a monitor. An inflammation can be quickly detected by viewing, but the exact cause of the gastritis cannot be determined. The doctor can also arrange for tests to be carried out in the stomach for pathogens or chemicals. A pH test can be used to find the cause of hyperacidity.

Therapy

The treatment of gastritis depends on the cause of the inflammation. First of all, it must be ensured that it is a type C gastritis. In the case of type C gastritis, the exact chemical stimulus that has damaged the mucous membrane must first be found.

If an overacidification of the stomach mucosa has been found, there are some medicinal and non-drug methods to alleviate the symptoms. It is important in acid disorders of the stomach to minimize the risk factors and to remedy the problem by changing one’s lifestyle and diet. Gentle, low-fat food should be preferred.

Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol should be put on the back burner for a while. The mucous membrane is in most cases able to recover itself. However, if the inflammation has progressed to such an extent that a change in eating habits cannot cure the inflammation, medication to combat the acid in the stomach must be used.

Drug therapy for gastritis C aims to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach. As a result, the mucous membrane can be relieved and the mucosal cells can regenerate, allowing the inflammation to subside. If there is already an ulcer or even a perforation of the stomach, the sole reduction of acidity does not help, so that surgery may become necessary.

The drugs used to treat gastritis come from the substance classes of antacids, proton pump inhibitors or anthistamines. Antacids are bases or salts that bind the acid by a simple chemical reaction and raise the pH value in the stomach. Proton pump inhibitors, on the other hand, are directed against acid production in certain cells of the stomach lining. They need a certain time before their effect sets in and should be taken constantly for a few days. The antihistamines also act at the cellular level and block certain hormones that command the stomach cells to produce acid.