Let's talk about erythematous gastropathy.

I hope you are having a good week, and that you have good plans to enjoy the weekend.

Today I come to talk about a fairly common disease to tell you the truth, more common than I would like it to be, but, it is not something I can control, and I would like to talk about Gastritis. Yes, we have all heard of it, usually the most common sign that someone may feel when they have it is heartburn, that burning sensation that occurs in the abdominal region.

But the truth is that it is much more than that, it predisposes to other situations that can be critical, and if it persists it can become something chronic with complications that could even be cancer. I am not exaggerating with the intention of scaring anyone or anything like that, it is a great reality. This week I have seen a patient who came with a severe case of this pathology, so I wanted to share a post on this topic, so if you want to know more about it I invite you to keep reading that what I have to tell you will surely interest you.

The stomach is part of the digestive system, it plays an important role in the digestive process by secreting acid, but in addition to its function mixing food, as well as its endocrine function. It is divided by different parts, as I describe below:

• Mucosa: inner layer that lines the stomach and produces gastric juice and hormones. *This is the part that is mostly damaged in the process of gastritis.

• Submucosa: layer below the mucosa that contains the blood vessels, lymphatics and nerves. It is usually not affected in gastritis, but if it is, the pain that manifests itself is of great intensity, and additionally the bleeding present usually complicates the situation.

• Smooth muscle: thick muscular layer that helps to mix food and propel it into the small intestine. The function is basically motor.

• Serosa or outer layer: outer layer that lines the stomach and protects the organ. Additionally, it allows it to be attached to other areas of the abdomen, giving it stability.

In addition, the stomach is divided into several sections, including the fundus, the body, the cardia and the antrum. The fundus is the upper part of the stomach, the corpus is the central section and the antrum is the lower part of the stomach, near the small intestine. Each section has a different function in digesting food and transporting it to the rest of the digestive system.

From this description we can easily define what gastritis is, it is an inflammation of the inner lining or mucosa of the stomach..

We can classify gastritis as follows:

• Acute gastritis: acute inflammation of the stomach lining that may be caused by injury, infection or excessive alcohol intake.

• Chronic gastritis: persistent and progressive inflammation of the stomach lining that can be caused by various factors, such as H. pylori bacteria, prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), stress, among others.

• Erosive gastritis: inflammation that causes erosions or ulcers in the stomach lining.

• Atrophic gastritis: loss of gastric juice-producing cells in the stomach mucosa, leading to a decrease in the production of gastric juice.

• Eosinophilic gastritis: a rare type of gastritis characterized by an abnormal accumulation of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) in the mucosa of the stomach.

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But additionally, and this is the one I particularly want to talk about this time, erythematous gastritis is a type of chronic gastritis that is characterized by a generalized inflammation and redness of the stomach lining. Below is an image that I captured and wanted to share with you.

Image of my own authorship

This particular type of gastritis, of a chronic nature, has certain causes which are the most common, and these are:

• Infection by H. pylori bacteria.
• Prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Overactive immune system.

The mechanism of production of each of these causes is particular. The most common symptomatology is the following:

• Abdominal pain, and this was the cause for which the patient attended.
• Weight loss: This was also reported by the patient.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Loss of appetite. This is normal, since pain evidently decreases hunger, and when this happens weight loss is inevitable.

When speaking with the patient she referred that she had been taking ibuprofen, diclofenac for more than two continuous months, since she had a pain in one knee that did not allow her to live well.
And surely this was the cause of such a magnitude of presentation of erythematous gastritis, which, as can be seen in the image above, is practically present in the entire mucosa of the stomach.

Although obviously we have to rule out H. Pilory, which is usually the main cause of this entity. In the same process of the gastroscopy, a biopsy sample was taken because everything must be ruled out.

Pixabay/ Author:27707

The treatment will depend, of course, on the cause, if it is due to the consumption of NSAIDs then the intake should be eliminated or reduced, additionally gastric protector (pantoprazole, lanzoprazole, and medicines of this type) will be indicated; and if the cause is H Pilory, then the standardized treatment to eradicate the bacteria is appropriate, which implies the use of gastric protector together with antibiotics. And never forget to improve your diet.

It is very important to seek medical attention if you experience symptoms of gastritis in order to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

It is critical to remember that erythematous gastritis is a condition that can be successfully treated if caught early.

In addition, adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, can help prevent the occurrence of erythematous gastritis.

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As you can notice, it is a quite severe case of gastritis, however, it can be treated and healed, but it is best to attend a doctor in time before it gets complicated, because then it is too late. If you have anything to add you can share it in the comments and we can all benefit from it.

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• Links consulted

• Gastritis: Terminology, Etiology, and Clinicopathological Correlations / Another Biased View

• Autoimmune Gastritis

• Gastritis