Atrophic gastritis


Can atrophic gastritis and gastric ulcers eat sweet potatoes?
Patients with atrophic gastritis and gastric ulcers should not eat sweet potatoes. Common symptoms for patients with atrophic gastritis and gastric ulcers include upper abdominal distension and pain, belching, acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, indigestion, and heartburn. After a clear diagnosis, standardized medication treatment is required. Additionally, it is essential for these patients to quit smoking and drinking alcohol; they should not drink strong tea or coffee. Foods that are rich, greasy, spicy, fried, grilled, cold, sweet, along with milk, soy milk, glutinous rice, and sweet potatoes are also not recommended. For example, sweet potatoes are difficult to digest and can increase gastric acid secretion, which further irritates the gastric mucosa and aggravates these two diseases. Therefore, patients with atrophic gastritis and gastric ulcers should not eat sweet potatoes.


Can atrophic gastritis with HP positive lead to cancer?
Chronic atrophic gastritis has a certain risk of cancerous transformation. For patients with chronic atrophic gastritis, the first step in treatment is to administer anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy, which includes a proton pump inhibitor, two types of antibiotics, and a bismuth agent, with a treatment duration of 14 days. Additionally, treatments to suppress stomach acid, protect the stomach lining, promote gastric motility, and repair the stomach mucosa are necessary. Treatment methods also involve traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnoses and oral administration of Chinese herbal medicine. External TCM treatments, such as thunder-fire moxibustion and moxibustion on the Zhongwan acupoint, or the acupoints of spleen-shu and stomach-shu on the back, which strengthen the spleen and benefit qi to nourish the stomach, can also play a significant role in treating this disease.


Can atrophic gastritis eat rock candy?
Patients with atrophic gastritis should not eat rock sugar. The main symptoms of atrophic gastritis include upper abdominal distension and pain, belching, acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, and indigestion. A gastroscopy can reveal the atrophy of gastric mucosal glands, which can diagnose atrophic gastritis. The treatment primarily involves fighting Helicobacter pylori, suppressing acid and protecting the stomach, enhancing gastric motility, and repairing the gastric mucosa. Dietary considerations are crucial; one must quit smoking and drinking, avoid strong tea and coffee, and refrain from consuming spicy, fried, raw, cold, sweet foods, and barbecued items. Rock sugar, being a sweet food, must be strictly avoided as sweet foods can increase gastric acid secretion, leading to stomach mucosa irritation and worsening of the condition. Therefore, patients with atrophic gastritis should not consume rock sugar.


What should be done with chronic non-atrophic gastritis with erosion?
Chronic non-atrophic gastritis with erosion requires a biopsy of the eroded area during a gastroscopy for a pathological examination to determine the nature of the erosion, whether it is inflammatory, intestinal metaplasia, or atypical hyperplasia, etc. If the erosion is inflammatory, oral medication is needed for treatment, such as treatment against Helicobacter pylori, as well as acid suppression, stomach protection, promotion of gastric motility, and protection of the gastric mucosa. If intestinal metaplasia or moderate to severe atypical hyperplasia is present, endoscopic mucosal resection is recommended. This is because moderate to severe intestinal metaplasia or atypical hyperplasia has a certain rate of malignancy, and endoscopic mucosal resection is necessary for thorough treatment, as oral medication alone cannot completely cure this lesion.


Is the cancerous transformation of atrophic gastritis related to the duration of the disease?
The carcinogenesis of atrophic gastritis does not have a significant relationship with the duration of the disease. The main cause of atrophic gastritis is Helicobacter pylori infection, with autoimmune abnormalities and genetic factors also playing a significant role in atrophic gastritis. Sometimes, patients with a short duration of atrophic gastritis may also develop cancer, while those who have had the disease for many years may not necessarily develop cancer. Therefore, once atrophic gastritis is diagnosed, it is important to regularly re-examine with gastroscopy to rule out the possibility of early malignancy.


Non-atrophic gastritis with focal erosion treatment
Non-atrophic gastritis with erosive lesions, primarily diagnosed through gastroscopic examination that revealed erosive and other changes in the gastric mucosa. If erosion is detected, doctors generally perform a biopsy under gastroscopy to ascertain the nature of the erosion. If the erosion is inflammatory, it can be treated with oral medications, including acid-suppressing and stomach-protective drugs, promoting gastric motility, and protecting the gastric mucosa. If the erosion involves intestinal metaplasia or atypical hyperplasia, it requires endoscopic APC treatment or endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) to eliminate the erosive areas, thereby addressing the erosion fundamentally. Additionally, attention should be paid to a light and easily digestible diet.


Symptoms and Treatment of Atrophic Gastritis
Common symptoms of chronic atrophic gastritis include upper abdominal distension, belching, acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, postprandial fullness, heartburn, and indigestion. Gastroscopy can reveal atrophy of the gastric glands in the mucosa, and a definitive diagnosis of chronic atrophic gastritis can be made through biopsy and histopathological examination. In terms of treatment, the first step involves eradicating Helicobacter pylori, using a regimen that includes a proton pump inhibitor, two antibiotics, and a bismuth agent, over a 14-day treatment period. Additionally, treatments aimed at acid suppression, gastric motility enhancement, and gastric mucosal protection are also necessary. Traditional Chinese medicine can also be effective in treating atrophic gastritis. A combined approach utilizing both Western and Chinese medicine can yield better outcomes for the treatment of atrophic gastritis.


Is atrophic gastritis easy to treat?
Atrophic gastritis is a type of chronic gastritis characterized by the atrophy of gastric mucosal glands. It carries a certain risk of becoming cancerous. The main symptoms include upper abdominal pain, postprandial fullness, heartburn, indigestion, belching, and acid reflux. Gastroscope examination reveals atrophy of the gastric glands, and a biopsy is needed for a pathological examination to confirm the diagnosis of chronic atrophic gastritis. In terms of treatment, the first step is to eradicate Helicobacter pylori, which includes a regimen of one proton pump inhibitor, two antibiotics, and one bismuth agent, lasting for 14 days. This is followed by acid suppression and mucosal repair treatments. Additionally, the treatment with traditional Chinese medicine plays a significant role in managing atrophic gastritis. This condition is challenging to treat, has poor outcomes, is prone to relapse, and carries a risk of cancer transformation.


What should I do if atrophic gastritis causes severe weight loss?
Patients with atrophic gastritis should be highly attentive if they experience significant weight loss and should receive standardized traditional treatments. Additionally, dietary habits also require careful attention; it is important to quit smoking and drinking alcohol, and to avoid using medications that damage the gastric mucosa, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids. Furthermore, eating habits should be regular, avoiding binge eating and foods that are too salty, spicy, or that are fried or deep-fried. Active treatment should also be directed against Helicobacter pylori, utilizing medications that protect the gastric mucosa, enhance its resistance to gastric acid, and improve the regenerative ability of gastric mucosal cells. Medications that inhibit bile reflux and improve gastric motility can also be employed.


What is the cause of recurrent atrophic gastritis?
Recurrent atrophic gastritis is likely caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. When atrophic gastritis recurs, a Carbon-13 urea breath test or Carbon-14 urea breath test should be conducted to detect whether there is an infection of Helicobacter pylori. If the test is positive, a two-week quadruple therapy containing a bismuth agent should be used to eradicate Helicobacter pylori. Consider using a proton pump inhibitor, such as omeprazole or lansoprazole, combined with two of the antibiotics amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, and furazolidone, as well as bismuth citrate, to form the quadruple therapy. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)