Antral gastritis

Antral gastritis is a form of chronic gastritis, also called bacterial gastritis or gastritis of type B. The localization of the inflammatory process in this disease is the antral part of the stomach, the function of which is to reduce the acidity of food before moving it from the stomach to the intestine.

Causes of antral gastritis

The main cause of the development of antral gastritis is infection with the Helicobacter pylori bacterium, which is actively colonized and multiplies in this section of the stomach due to low acidity. The activity of these microorganisms causes inflammatory processes. Also, the disease contributes to such factors:

• stress;
• malnutrition;
• food poisoning;
• smoking;
• alcohol abuse.

Manifestations of antral gastritis

The main symptoms of gastritis of the antrum of the stomach, in which this department is deformed and narrowed, are as follows:

• decreased appetite;
• belching with an unpleasant aftertaste;
• nausea;
• heartburn after eating;
• feeling of overfullness, heaviness, bloating in the stomach;
• diarrhea (sometimes - constipation);
• grumbling in the abdomen;
• intense spasmodic pain in the stomach, arising after half an hour - an hour after eating;
• general weakness;
• irritability.

Forms of antral gastritis

There are such forms of antral gastritis:

1. Surface antral gastritis (banal, catarrhal). As a rule, this is the initial stage of the disease, in which the glands are not affected, but only the inflammation of the irritated mucous membrane of the stomach is observed, the dystrophic changes in the epithelium;
2. Erosive antral gastritis. This form occurs when the mucus is not sufficiently isolated by the antrum of the stomach, resulting in erosion of varying depth and prevalence (with extensive lesions, bleeding may occur).
3. Antral atrophic gastritis (focal, diffuse). The characteristic features of this form of the disease are thinning of the mucous membrane of the walls of the stomach and the associated decrease in the secretion of gastric juice, as well as the necrosis of the glands and the replacement of their connective tissue;
4. Antral subatrophic gastritis. "Harbinger" atrophic form of the disease, in which there are primary changes in the tissues of the mucous membrane of the stomach and glands, which are localized or generalized.

How to treat anthral gastritis?

Treatment of antral gastritis should be comprehensive and include the following methods:

1. Taking medication:

• antibiotics (for suppression of bacteria Helicobacter pylori);
• antisecretory drugs and antacids (to reduce the secretion of gastric juice and neutralize acidity);
• antispasmodics and anesthetics (to relieve spasms and pain);
• drugs that improve the motility of the gastrointestinal tract;
• reparants (to improve regenerative processes in the stomach tissues, healing of erosions).

2. Compliance with a gentle diet, excluding the use of products that promote the production of gastric juice, as well as indigestible products. Recommended for use are:

• low-fat meat, fish;
• stale bread, biscuit biscuits;
• milk, low-fat dairy products;
• light vegetable soups;
• liquid porridge (rice, pearl barley, semolina, oats, buckwheat);
• boiled vegetables and baked fruit, berries.

Food should be divided, the food soft, well shredded, slightly warm.

3. Physiotherapy methods, aimed primarily at the relief of symptoms:

• electrophoresis;
• infrared laser therapy;
• balneotherapy;
• ultrasound, etc.