Antral Gastritis

Antral gastritis is an autoimmune problem that can cause a lot of discomfort to the sufferer. Often people who have this condition are not aware of the symptoms that accompany it. There are also many kinds of gastritis that are treated with medications as well as acid suppressants to deal with the root cause. Most types of gastritis cause an inflammation of the entire gastric mucosa but antral gastritis affects only one region of the stomach. Although gastritis can affect any individual, it is more common for people over the age of 60 to be affected by this condition.

Antral Gastritis Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Causes

Being aware of the antral gastric causes is important so that you can take the necessary precautions to bring about a permanent cure. Gastritis is connected with different medications, infections, chemicals, social habits, physical stress, and surgical conditions. Some of the medications that can cause gastritis are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS (naproxen or ibuprofen), steroids, potassium supplements, iron tablets, and medications for cancer chemotherapy. Gastritis can also be caused by swallowing various objects or poisons like corrosives (lye and acid), alcohol of different kinds, and foreign bodies like pins or paper clips. Some of the surgical and medical conditions that can cause gastritis include physical stress in individuals who are critically ill or injured and after medical procedures like endoscopy where the doctor looks into the stomach with a lighted tube. The condition can also be caused after an operation to take out a part of the stomach, after a treatment of radiation for cancer, autoimmune diseases, pernicious anemia, and chronic vomiting. Some of the infections that can cause gastritis include tuberculosis, syphilis, viral infections, fungal infections, parasites and worms, and bacterial infections. The most common infection is with H pylori. Other kinds of bacteria including those that cause bladder infections or pneumonia can cause gastritis. Some of the causes that contribute to gastritis are stress that causes a disturbance to the natural biological speed, nutritional conditions like unbalanced nutrition, irregular nutrition, eating poor quality food, drinking a lot of strong liquor, smoking, abusing dishes that contain emulsifiers in products and preservatives. During pregnancy the disease is considered to get aggravated in 75 percent of women.

Symptoms

Most kinds of gastritis can be present without exhibiting any symptoms. Without any symptoms being exhibited, people will not know if there is any issue to be addressed. Hence, most will discover they have gastritis only after visiting a doctor. The physician will be able to check if you have antral gastritis by checking your symptoms, if present, and doing an endoscopy. There are many factors that can cause antral gastritis, but nevertheless, the symptoms remain the same.  Of all the antral gastritis symptoms, one of the most common symptoms is indigestion. As inflammation develops in the stomachs antrum, the digestion process and also the process of the food getting emptied into the intestine will get affected. This can lead to a burning sensation that happens with indigestion to occur in the upper abdomen. Nausea is a symptom that usually accompanies the indigestion. When any kind of inflammation occurs within the stomachs lining, the reaction of the body is to cause nausea although no food may be present in the stomach. The feeling of nausea can range from a mild to severe and may cause vomiting in the person. With passing time and the persistence of the condition, the individual will begin to have a loss of appetite. In rare cases, traces of blood may be present in the vomit. As the inflammation occurs solely in the stomachs lower portion, the process in which the food is emptied into the intestine can be affected greatly. This can lead to a little of the undigested food to come into the part of the digestive tract. Once it comes there, they can ferment and discharge gases that cause flatulence and bloating. This inflammation can also cause excess air to get built up in the stomach, prompting belching or burping. Aside from the discomfort experienced from bloating and excess gas, there is another discomfort antral gastritis can cause. This sensation that is uncomfortable usually manifests during the time of meals and is described best as a fullness that is unpleasant, even though you do not finish your meal. Another of the antral gastritis symptoms is changes in the stools. Although this symptom is not as prevalent as the other symptoms, a change in the stools has been known to happen with antral gastritis. With this symptom, you may find that your stool has become tarry and dark. This indicates that there is some bleeding happening in the digestive tract and medical attention should be sought immediately.

Treatment

For a proper antral gastritis treatment to be determined, it is essential that the doctor understands the cause of the problem. For instance, if a bacterial infection is causing the antral gastritis, the infection may be treated by the doctor with antibiotics to prevent the disease from recurring. The doctor may also prescribe antacids to bring down the symptoms till the bacteria no longer causes the inflammation. Most individuals do not realize they have antral gastritis till the severity of the condition increases. Therefore, most people take some antacids over the counter to bring down the symptoms. When they start to have dark or bloody stools, nausea, gas, and severe ingestion, they may seek treatment for the disease with a doctor. The individuals who are affected may also get diagnosed when an endoscopic procedure is done for some other health issue. One of the most important antral gastritis remedies is to develop good eating habits. Consume foods that are light and avoid high fat foods like fried foods, butter, and fatty meats as they can delay the emptying of the stomach. Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables like dates, eggplant, tomatoes, and green leafy vegetables. While there is no such antral gastritis cure, it is essential that you maintain a proper diet along with the treatment suggested by the doctor to bring relief. It is also important that when you notice any of the symptoms mentioned, you get checked immediately by a doctor and avoid taking over the counter medications to bring down the symptoms. The sooner the diagnosis is done and treatment given the less suffering you will experience.