Gastritis disease

Gastritis disease

Background

Gastritis is a bacterial disease that causes irritation or inflammation of the stomach lining. The condition has two classes, known as chronic gastritis and acute gastritis.  Acute gastritis can happen suddenly and often responds to appropriate therapy, whereas chronic gastritis develops slowly. The risk of gastritis increases with age. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 20 out of every 100 people contact acute gastritis at one point in their lives. Most men get gastritis over the age of 65, while women in the age bracket of 45 and 65 are at risk of developing gastritis. This disease poses a threat to many people in the 21^st century. The purpose of this paper is to expand our understanding of Gastritis and ways to curb its effects.

Pathophysiology and Etiology

Acute Gastritis is caused by several reasons. According to  Robinson (2019), these reasons include acute stress, food poisoning and allergy, direct trauma, fungal and viral infections, and certain drugs such as cocaine and alcohol. Most Gastritis injuries occur when there is instability between the defensive and aggressive conditions that maintain the mucosa lining of the stomach walls (Sipponen & Maaroos, 2015).

Acute erosive gastritis, also known as, reactive gastritis, results from contact with a variety of agents. Reactive gastritis may be caused by stress, radiation, ischemia, bile reflux, and some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs). The systematic or oral administration of NSAIDs in supratherapeutic doses or therapeutic doses presents hemorrhages, ulcers, and erosions on the gastric mucosa (Robinson, 2019). These inciting agents are present on the stomach’s greater curvature due to gravity. It is because of NSAIDs that acute gastritis develops around the stomach’s greater curvature. The main mechanism of injury for gastritis is the drop in the production of prostaglandin. The role of prostaglandin is controlling the mechanisms that protect the mucosa from the dangers of gastric acid.

Bacteria such as H pylori are also another responsible agent of acute gastritis. These complications arise from chronic infection (Murray, 2017). The infection by these bacteria is often acquired during childhood and may depend on the socioeconomic class, the age and the country of origin. This bacterium fixes itself into the mucous layer, the protective layer that covers the gastric mucosa (Robinson, 2019). The bacteria protect itself against the stomach’s acidity by producing urease. Urease speeds up the synthesis of urea to ammonia, which neutralizes the gastric acid around the bacteria offering protection. The transmission of these bacteria is majorly likely from one person to another through ingestion of contaminated food or water, or through the oral-fecal route (Sipponen & Maaroos, 2015).

Viral infections are also responsible for causing gastritis. A common viral cause for gastritis is the Cytomegalovirus( CMV). This virus is commonly encountered in immunocompromised individuals such as those with cancer, AIDS, and individuals taking immunosuppression medications, especially after transplants (Robinson, 2019).

Gastritis can also be caused by fungal infections. The common predisposing factor to fungal infections is immunosuppression. Fungi such as Candida albicans and histoplasmosis have been found to cause gastritis when these fungi are isolated in the stomach; they are located within the gastric ulcer (Robinson, 2019). The clinical feature presented by these fungi is hemorrhaging from gastric ulcers.

Another rare cause of gastritis is parasitic infections. Parasitic infections such as Anisakidosis are as a result of a nematode parasite that fixes itself onto the gastric mucosa on the greater curvature of the stomach (Sipponen & Maaroos, 2015). Anisakidosis is contracted by the consumption of contaminated fish or contaminated sushi. It manifests itself by causing abdominal pain, which disappears after some few days (Murray, 2017).  This parasitic infection is responsible for ulcers, erosions, and gastric fold swellings.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms may vary from one individual to another. Some individuals may not show any symptoms (Robinson, 2019). Gastritis is characterized by the following symptoms; abdominal bloating, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, hiccups, vomiting blood, nausea, blood, or tarry stools (Sipponen & Maaroos, 2015).

Diagnosis and Treatment

The morbidity or mortality of gastritis depends on the etiology of gastritis. Once the etiology has been determined, most cases of gastritis can be treated. However, phlegmonous gastritis has a 65% mortality rate despite treatment (Sipponen & Maaroos, 2015). During diagnosis, the medical practitioner reviews the patient’s medical history. A physical examination is conducted, and the following tests recommended blood tests, fecal occult blood test, and upper endoscopy. Endoscopy enables the doctor to examine the lining of the stomach. The doctor then checks for inflammation and performs a biopsy involving an analysis of a small sample of the stomach wall. Several blood tests, for instance, the performance of red blood cell count to investigate the presence of pernicious anemia. The sample of blood can also be screened for the existence of H pylori infections (Sipponen & Maaroos, 2015). During the examination of the fecal occult blood, the appearance of blood in the stool is examined to which may be an indication of gastritis

The treatment of gastritis involves the prescription of antacids and other proton pump inhibitor drugs to lower the production of stomach acid (Robinson, 2019). If the gastritis is caused by H pylori bacteria, the doctor prescribes an acid-blocking medication plus several antibiotics. Gastritis caused by pernicious anemia is treated by administering B12 shots.