How to identify gastritis: in the clinic and at home, the best diagnostic measures for detecting inflammation of the stomach

Gastritis is a very common disease characterized by an acute or chronic inflammatory process in the gastric mucosa. A variety of reasons can provoke the development of this pathology, from alcohol consumption to stress. At the same time, due to the fact that the disease often has specific signs, it is important to know how to determine gastritis on your own and what needs to be done for this.

First signs

It is not always easy to recognize inflammation of the stomach, since some types of this lesion may not manifest themselves at all for a long time.

In most cases, the onset of gastritis in adults or exacerbation of the chronic form of the disease is accompanied by the following characteristic symptoms:

• Severe nausea.
• Bad taste in the mouth, which is especially common in the morning.
• Heaviness in the stomach after eating, a feeling of fullness.
• Heartburn, which is especially pronounced on an empty stomach.
• Taste changes.
• Loss of appetite or vice versa, constant feeling of hunger.
• Chest pain.
• Bleeding in the colon.
• Vomiting of blood.

How to determine if there is a disease at home

Many people ask how to determine gastritis at home without consulting a doctor. At the same time, you need to understand that it is impossible and at least unreasonable to identify such a disease on your own. Only a full-fledged diagnosis, a doctor's examination and a number of studies will make it possible to establish an accurate diagnosis, the degree of damage and a subspecies of pathology.

A person will be able to assume an inflammatory process in the acorn with the appearance of pain after eating, frequent nausea and indigestion. Despite this, such signs may indicate a completely different developing disease in the gastrointestinal tract.

Medical examination

An experienced gastroenterologist will help you understand how to determine gastritis, so it is worth contacting him at the first deterioration in the condition. This doctor will conduct a conversation with the patient, collect anamnesis and palpate the abdominal cavity. This will help him to draw up a primary clinical picture of the patient's condition.

It is also necessary to examine the tongue, measure the temperature. If you suspect a disease, a person will need to perform a number of laboratory and instrumental diagnostic procedures (ultrasound, gastroscopy, etc.).

Examination of the stomach: effective laboratory tests and the best instrumental procedures for gastritis

With the help of laboratory tests, the doctor will be able to determine the form of the course of gastritis, as well as the degree of neglect of the disease. In this case, the patient's blood, feces, gastric and duodenal juice can be used as a material for examining the stomach.

Any examination of the stomach always begins with the delivery of general clinical and biochemical blood tests. They are prescribed by a doctor immediately after examining a person. These indicators will be able to provide information on the presence of an inflammatory process in the body, an infectious lesion, the functions of enzymes, as well as the general hormonal background of the patient.

The following blood parameters are responsible for the condition and function of the stomach: ESR, leukocytes, gastrin and pepsinogen. If an excess of their normal level is detected, then this will indirectly confirm the presence of gastritis or stomach ulcers.

Also, without fail, when examining the stomach, the patient should donate blood for antibodies to Helicobacter bacteria. It is she who provokes inflammation. stomach or duodenum.

To identify latent bleeding and disruption of enzymes, it is worth taking feces for analysis. The study will also help to identify the presence of eggs of worms and symptoms of dysbiosis in the patient.

To determine the functional state of the gastric mucosa, a person should perform a pH meter. The procedure will help determine the level of acidity in the organ, which will later tell the doctor the correct treatment regimen.

Additional laboratory tests to diagnose inflammation in the stomach are:

• General urine analysis.
• Coprogram. It is used to assess the acidity in the organ, as well as the presence of inflammation in the digestive system.
• Helicobacter tests (breath test).
• Histology of biopsy material taken during EGD.

Instrumental research

Examination of the stomach always requires a series of instrumental examinations. They will most accurately show the disease of the organ and identify the localization of inflammation. For this purpose, various devices and devices can be used today.

The best methods for instrumental diagnostics are:

• FGDS. This is the main method for the accurate diagnosis of gastritis. The examination is performed using a flexible probe with a camera at the end. It is introduced into the patient's esophagus. During the procedure, the doctor sees the walls of the organ on the monitor, noting the lesion of the mucous membrane. Also, such a gastroscopy will be effective if you suspect a stomach ulcer and other diseases of this organ.
• Tissue biopsy. It is performed during gastroscopy. At the same time, with the help of a gastroscope, the doctor takes the stomach tissue for further examination. This is a painless test that is very informative in the presence of Helicobacter bacteria.
• Determination of the acidity level by introducing a pH probe into the stomach through the nose. In this case, the data will be read by a special device that is attached to the patient's belt. In some cases, to establish a diagnosis, the patient needs to wear such a probe for 24 hours.
• Ultrasound of the stomach. This is a simple and at the same time quite informative diagnostic method that allows you to identify the pathology of an organ, to assess its general condition.
• Acidotest. It is performed if there are restrictions on the introduction of the probe. In this case, the patient takes special medications, which, after interacting with hydrochloric acid, will change the color of urine.
• X-ray using contrast. Such a diagnostic method will be especially informative in the presence of motor disorders of the organ, as well as to exclude other diseases of the digestive system.

After completing this complex of studies, the patient is diagnosed with a final diagnosis. After that, the attending physician selects a suitable course of treatment for a person, which is recommended to be carried out in a hospital setting.

During therapy, it is important for the patient to give up bad habits and be sure to follow the diet. It is it that will help reduce inflammation, and also normalize digestion in the body.