Alcoholic gastritis is an inflammation in the lining of the stomach. Alcohol indigestion is the main cause of this and through continuous taking of alcohol it can also lead to an acute hemorrhagic through direct irritation of the gastric mucosa.
Some of the details about the condition that you should know include:
- If you have this kind of disease there are symptoms that you might have experienced like nausea, loss of appetite, stomach pain, vomiting blood or “coffee grounds” and swollen abdomen. All these symptoms for alcoholic gastritis may last a few hours to a few days.
- If you think that you almost experience all the symptoms it is better to immediately visit your doctor to conduct diagnosis. The methods for diagnosing this disease are by means of examination and laboratory tests. In examination, your doctor will conduct stomach and rectal exam. On stomach exam it will distinguish in what part you feel the pain and in rectal exam it will reveal microscopic blood. If alcoholic gastritis will be diagnosed in the process of laboratory the doctor will check your blood count to evaluate you blood loss. Through this also there will be small tube called endoscopy to be put to your throat and will passed down into your stomach. This method may sound painful but don’t worry it is not.
- If you are diagnosed to have this kind of disease there are also treatments that can be done in order to get rid of this disease. You should eliminate spicy, fatty or fried foods. You should discontinue caffeine-containing beverages most especially alcohol. You should also stop smoking. You should also take medications like Zantac, sulcralfate which forms a coating above the inflamed site and proton inhibitors such as Prilosec. Alcoholic gastritis will be easily cured if you follow your doctor’s advice properly.
Those are the things that will help you prevent and treat this kind of disease. Remember that alcohol is good if you take it occasionally but if you become addicted to it, it is bad because it will not only destroy your health but your whole life as well. Alcoholic gastritis will be prevented if you will consider taking minimal amount of alcohol occasionally and not a part of your everyday activities.