Doctors explained how to distinguish gastritis from stomach ulcers, it is important to understand the difference between these diseases.

Diseases gastrointestinal tract in our time is not a novelty - the rhythms of life and malnutrition (more often - on the go) are slowly but surely doing their job. Most common causes visits to the gastroenterologist and hospitalizations are gastritis and stomach ulcers. The first symptoms of these diseases are very similar, but there are all such differences, and it is important to distinguish them from each other, because one of these diseases - an ulcer - can be deadly.

What is what?

Both diseases affect the lining of the stomach. Only in the case of gastritis does it become inflamed, but an ulcer already means that there are localized defects on the mucosa, often provoking internal bleeding. The presence of gastritis always means the risk of developing a stomach ulcer.

Most often, gastritis becomes a consequence of an improper diet and a love of fast food and spicy dishes. An ulcer is provoked by frequent stresses that overload nervous system, which subsequently causes muscle spasms and all blood vessels in the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, there is a malnutrition of the stomach, gastric juice begins to corrode the mucous membrane, from which wounds form on it.

Differences in symptoms

At first glance, an ulcer and gastritis cannot be distinguished, but if you listen closely, the difference in symptoms is clear.

Exacerbation period. With gastritis, pain can be disturbing for a year - it all depends on the diet. With a stomach ulcer, the peak of pain occurs in autumn or spring - when the nervous and hormonal systems are especially susceptible due to temperature changes and changes in daylight hours.

When do they worry? Both diseases are characterized by so-called "hunger pains". Only an ulcer often worries at night, but gastritis usually “sleeps” at night, and makes itself felt all the time during the day.

Localization of pain. In the case of gastritis, painful sensations occur in the same place - in the epigastric region, or, as they call it "in the people" - under the pit of the stomach. An ulcer can be reflected by pain in the back, in the side, in the pit of the stomach, above the navel, etc. - it all depends on the location of the foci of the disease.

Pain after eating. With gastritis, sharp discomfort appears 3-4 hours after eating, with an ulcer, severe, aching and exhausting pain occurs within an hour after eating, with nausea, vomiting, often with blood.

In addition, the specific manifestations of gastritis include loss of appetite, flatulence, weight loss for no reason, nausea, heartburn, belching with bad smell, increased salivation, yellow or gray coating in the language. Signs characteristic only for an ulcer are vomiting after eating and the presence of blood in the vomit, frequent disorders or constipation with blood, constant dizziness, weakness and decreased performance (with an ulcer, the level of hemoglobin in the blood drops, which provokes these symptoms).

Treatment is important

Both diseases require urgent and adequate treatment, since gastritis very quickly passes into a stomach ulcer, and that, in turn, poses a deadly threat to humans. In any case, the diagnosis is made after an ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (visual examination of the upper digestive tract using a gastroscope - a fiber optic tube that transmits an image to a monitor).

Treatment of gastritis requires a mandatory diet (without fried, spicy, salty, sour and sweet), as well as taking drugs to normalize the acidity of the stomach, relieve inflammation of the gastric mucosa, probiotics and antibiotics. In the treatment of ulcers, all of the above remedies are used, only hormone therapy and drugs are added to them, which help restore the work of the brain centers, in particular, those responsible for regulating the digestive system.

Differentiation of gastritis and stomach ulcers

Gastritis and stomach ulcers have the same symptoms:

Abdominal pain;
Loss of appetite;

Nausea;

Vomit;

loss of appetite;

Weight loss.

However, there are many differences, namely:

Pain with a stomach ulcer is more intense than with gastritis, and at the same time it is more localized.

A stomach ulcer is often complicated by small, and sometimes severe, bleeding, in running form it can lead to perforation (perforation).

The risk of developing cancer with peptic ulcer is much greater than with gastritis.

Diet for ulcers and gastritis

Many patients, in the process of life with gastritis, quickly understand which foods cause them pain, and which ones can be eaten fearlessly.

The first sign that a certain product or dish is not suitable for a person is:

Abdominal pain;

Heartburn;

Stomach upset.

What foods to avoid for gastritis
- despite the fact that there is a certain list of what not to eat with gastritis, doctors still recommend patients to listen to their body and pay attention to how they feel after eating a particular food.

These recommendations are based on years of observation, which concluded that people with the same diagnosis can have very different symptoms. So, in some patients with gastritis, even a piece of dark chocolate causes severe pain in the epigastrium, while others have no reaction to chocolate, etc.

And yet those who suffer erosive gastritis you should not experiment, but it is better to limit yourself from products that are dangerous to their health and eat what the attending physician recommends. This small inconvenience will help you recover from the disease and live without fear for your life.

What foods are prohibited for gastritis

What you can not eat and drink with erosive gastritis:

From drinks:

Black tea and cocoa

Whole milk

Coffee

Alcohol

Orange and grapefruit juice

Spices and spices:

Dangerous for the stomach

Black and red pepper

Garlic

Onion

Other products:

Spiced and flavored cheeses

Heavily smoked, with high content fats, sausages (bacon, ham, etc.)

Tomatoes and tomato products

What can you eat:

You can and should eat a variety of healthy foods from all food groups. Special attention pay to:

Fruits and vegetables

Whole grains (bread, pasta, etc.)

Skimmed milk

brown rice

poultry meat

Lean fish

Legumes

Eggs

Sometimes nuts

Minimum salt and sugar

Olive oil

Don't eat before bed

Eat small, frequent meals

Avoid stressful situations

Sleep at least eight hours a day

Note. By following the data above, which are not very complicated, when you get used to it, recommendations, the patient will protect himself from a terrible, most often fatal, disease.

04.03.2017

Gastritis and peptic ulcer signal a problem with the gastrointestinal tract and can deliver a lot of unpleasant minutes, as well as significantly worsen the quality of life. Often they force a person to completely reconsider their diet and resort to taking expensive medicines. In order for the treatment to be timely and correct, it is important to understand how to distinguish gastritis from a stomach ulcer even when the first signs of the disease appear.

What is behind these diagnoses?

In many cases, gastritis is the initial stage of a stomach ulcer. The symptoms of these diseases can differ quite slightly, so only a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis. Both gastritis and ulcers are accompanied by changes in the gastric mucosa. However, in the first case, only its inflammation is observed, and with ulcerative lesions it is already possible to identify clearly defined areas with trophic disorders (wounds) resulting from exposure to bile, of hydrochloric acid and pepsin.

There are also differences in the causes of these diseases. Gastritis often occurs on the basis of irregular and malnutrition, for example, love for fast food, spicy and very spicy dishes, smoked meats, fried foods, etc. It is also caused by:

• alcohol and drug use;
• deficiency of vitamin B12 and iron;
• diseases of the endocrine system;
• harmful work associated with chemicals and a lot of dust;
• food allergy;
• infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

An ulcer is often caused by strong and prolonged stress: an intense load on the nervous system leads to reflex spasm of the muscles and blood vessels of the gastrointestinal tract. Because of this, the proper nutrition of the mucous membranes of the stomach is disrupted, which leads to their ulceration and the appearance of local defects. The hereditary factor also plays a role.

Key Differences Between Gastritis and Ulcers

Sometimes it is difficult even for an experienced specialist to understand whether there is an ulcer in front of him or acute gastritis, without additional examinations: an x-ray, ultrasound examination and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (during this study, the condition of the stomach is checked through a gastroscope). However, it is possible to suspect what exactly we are dealing with by the following characteristic features:

1. Listen carefully to yourself and try to determine exactly where the pain is localized. Gastritis often makes itself felt with acute pain in the epigastric region. Ulcerative discomfort is characterized by sharp paroxysmal pains that seem to permeate the entire stomach and often radiate to the back, side, umbilical region, solar plexus or heart region. The patient experiences the greatest discomfort just in the area affected by the ulcer.
2. If you do not know exactly how to distinguish acute gastritis from an ulcer, study the nature of "hungry" pains. With gastritis, they occur only 3-4 hours after the person got up from the table. But with an ulcer, the patient encounters such attacks already 1.5–2 hours after breakfast, lunch or dinner, and they are often accompanied by nausea.
3. Symptoms of gastritis differ from ulcers in the absence of sudden exacerbations. Gastritis can manifest itself year-round, and the severity of its manifestations is largely determined by the diet and diet. At the same time, a certain seasonality is typical for an ulcer: most often people go to the doctor about it in the spring or autumn period. At this time, the work of the nervous and endocrine systems is quite unstable due to temperature fluctuations and changes in daylight hours.
4. The time of occurrence of the most intense pain in these diseases also differs. Gastritis traditionally annoys the patient during the day and does not affect his sleep. With an ulcer, the peak of pain occurs at night, and they disappear only after a snack.
5. It is also possible to determine which of these diseases of the gastrointestinal tract a person has by a blood test. If all indicators remain within the normal range, most likely it is gastritis: with ulceration of the mucous membrane, the hemoglobin level drops significantly, sometimes up to 100 g / l or less.
6. It is possible to differentiate an ulcer from gastritis by pronounced symptoms. If you feel that the pain has become more distinct, heartburn appears more often, and the usual medicines that alleviate the condition do not help, consult a doctor.
7. It is almost impossible to confuse perforation of an ulcer with other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: it is characterized by severe weakness, acute "dagger" pain, lowering blood pressure and vomiting with blood streaks.

Typical signs of gastritis

Lack of appetite, belching with a nauseating odor, heartburn, excessive salivation, a grayish or yellowish film on the tongue, nausea, flatulence, sudden weight loss. But with frequent fatigue, accompanied by the presence of blood streaks in vomit and feces, diarrhea or difficult defecation, vomiting after eating and dizziness, it is worth checking for a stomach ulcer.

How to distinguish gastritis from an ulcer is not a trivial task, but after conducting the necessary examinations and carefully studying the symptoms, this is not so difficult to do.

Video: gastritis and ulcer

How to distinguish gastritis from an ulcer? Gastritis and peptic ulcer are diseases that affect the condition of the walls in the stomach and small intestine.

These diseases have many different characteristic symptomatic manifestations such as pain in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and sudden weight loss.

On the other hand, there are also quite a few differences between them.

Gastritis and peptic ulcer damage the gastric mucosa, but gastritis is a general inflammatory process, and an ulcer is a trophic disorder in the tissues of the gastric mucosa.

Although gastritis and peptic ulcer disease share common symptoms, intense localized pain is much more common with ulcers.

Among other things, ulcers are characterized by high risks of bleeding, malignant tumors and possible perforations in the stomach.

Doctors use different diagnostic measures for each specific disease. The methods of treatment of the two above diseases also differ.

Characteristics of gastritis and ulcers

An ulcer is an erosion in the lining of the stomach or duodenum.

Risk factors such as excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory type medications, and infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori affect the protective epithelial layer of the stomach.

This causes a violation, leading to the formation of an ulcer, which in turn provokes the appearance of:

• pain;
• discomfort in the upper parts of the abdominal cavity;
• heaviness in the stomach;
• nausea;
• heartburn;
• pain in the chest;
• lethargy and increased fatigue;
• frequent desire to vomit;
• black stool during bowel movements.

An endoscopy procedure and a barium x-ray of the stomach help pinpoint the exact location of the ulcer.

Treatment of the disease consists in the use of eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori and the simultaneous use of proton pump inhibitors.

This condition can be complicated by the development of a perforated ulcer, which often leads to bleeding, peritonitis, or gastric obstruction.

Gastritis is a process in which the wall of the stomach becomes inflamed. The main causative factors that provoke gastritis are the same as during stomach ulcers:

1. Alcohol abuse.
2. Uncontrolled intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
3. Infection with a bacterium of the genus Helicobacter pylori.

Taking certain substances-poisons, using narcotic drugs, the presence of psychological stress and penetration into the body viral infections also contribute to inflammation of the stomach.

Although most people who have gastritis may have no symptoms at all, many of the symptoms that develop over time are associated with upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and loss of appetite.

The patient's condition may be complicated by black tarry stools and bloody vomiting.

Diagnostic methods include complete analysis blood, endoscopy and tests for the presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the body.

Treatment options include the use of antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors, as well as monitoring the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Main differences

How to distinguish a simple inflammation of the stomach from an ulcer? To do this, first of all, it is worth understanding the causative factors of diseases.

Gastritis, inflammation of the stomach wall, has three main primary causes.

First, excessive alcohol consumption, which destroys the protective lining of the stomach and promotes the secretion of hydrochloric acid and inflammation of the stomach wall (i.e., gastritis).

Taking high doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen, is another common cause of gastritis.

This is because these painkillers reduce the ability of the stomach to create prostaglandin, one of the compounds that protect the stomach from hydrochloric acid.

The third reason is bacterial infection penetrating into the gastric mucosa. When bacteria are involved in the inflammatory process, gastritis can develop into an ulcer.

Ulcers in the stomach or duodenum, first part small intestine are often the result of a bacterial infection.

Typically, 10% of patients suffering from gastritis develop an ulcer.

Doctors are still debating whether stress affects the development of peptic ulcers.

Ulcers can lead to a much more serious disease, so certain tests and examinations are required to establish the correct diagnosis.

The main difference between gastritis and ulcers is found during endoscopic examination. During this procedure, the doctor inserts a narrow tube through the esophagus and into the stomach. Using a camera at the end of the tube, the doctor examines the walls of the stomach and duodenum 12.

The advantage of the procedure is that if the endoscopist finds suspicious areas of tissue, he can immediately perform a biopsy for the presence of a cancerous tumor.

The endoscopy procedure carries little risk, but at the same time is the most reliable diagnostic tool.

Only an experienced doctor can distinguish an ulcer from gastritis. After the doctor draws conclusions regarding the presence of a particular disease, treatment can begin.

Therapy for gastritis and ulcers may vary depending on individual characteristics each individual patient.

During gastritis, simple antacids may provide some symptom relief. In more serious cases, the doctor will prescribe drugs that reduce the acidity of the stomach.

These medicines are known as proton pump inhibitors. Along with following the advice of a healthcare professional, patients should also avoid alcohol and NSAIDs.

Antacids are another common treatment for mild cases of ulcers. In more serious situations, the patient will take antibiotics to treat the infection that caused the ulcer.

For most patients, antibiotics are effective tool leading to complete recovery. If the ulcer bleeds or perforates the stomach, doctors perform endoscopic surgery.

The patient should not trust the symptoms alone and self-medicate (especially when the person gets worse).

In order to identify a specific disease (distinguish an ulcer from gastritis), a person should definitely contact a gastroenterologist and undergo a complete diagnosis.

Useful video

Many diseases of the digestive tract are accompanied by similar symptoms, so you should know, understand and understand how to distinguish gastritis from an ulcer. Despite a number of identical symptoms, there are some specific manifestations, the analysis of which allows us to understand the nature of the pathological process. An accurate diagnosis, an ulcer or gastritis, can only be made by a doctor based on the results of a thorough diagnosis.

Symptomatic picture of gastric diseases

Gastritis or ulcers are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which are accompanied by the formation of an inflammatory process and a number of defects on the mucous membranes of the stomach. Given the similar processes that develop in both diseases, they have distinctive clinical manifestations. It is possible to distinguish the course of gastritis from a stomach ulcer if you know in detail the symptomatic picture of both pathological processes.

Symptoms of gastritis

Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the stomach occurs in 2 forms - with high and low acidity. Symptoms depend on the pH level.

Signs:

• frequent and prolonged pain in the upper abdomen, the pain is aching in nature;
• burning sensation in the epigastric region;
• frequent belching, which leaves a sour taste in the mouth, if bile is thrown into the stomach, the belching will be bitter;
• bouts of vomiting after eating;
• heaviness and discomfort in the stomach;
• increased amount of saliva;
• deviations in the functioning of the intestine, manifested by frequent constipation.

You need to know and understand how to distinguish, it has the following manifestations:

• bouts of nausea after eating;
• frequent belching, after which there is a putrid smell from the mouth;
• persistent metallic taste oral cavity;
• discomfort in the stomach, as if it were always full;
• dull pain in the abdomen that occurs every time after 15-20 minutes after eating;
• flatulence;
• intestinal disorders accompanied by diarrhea;
• deterioration of the condition of hair and nails, change in their color, brittleness, excessive dryness of the skin;
• anemia.

Most of the signs of stomach disease occur after eating, causing a person to refuse to eat and begin to lose weight.

Both types of gastritis in the absence of their timely treatment lead to a deterioration in the condition. Symptoms of gastritis with high and low acidity:

• general weakness;
• weight loss;
• drowsiness, which negatively affects performance;
• negative changes in vascular tone;
• hypotension.

During periods of exacerbation of the disease, fainting may occur.

One of the specific signs of gastritis, which helps to determine the presence of this gastric disease, is frequent vomiting, with an admixture of blood clots in the vomit. Another characteristic symptom is a change in the color of the feces, the acquisition of a black color by them due to the blood secreted from the stomach.

Difficulty in diagnosis is present when, which proceeds in a mild, initial form. Symptoms are mild, no specific character. The most common symptoms are frequent bouts of nausea, both mild and severe, rarely ending in vomiting, and almost constant bloating.

The clinical picture of the ulcer

Peptic ulcer of the stomach is accompanied by the formation of ulcerative foci of various sizes on the mucous walls of the stomach, from 3 mm to 5 cm. The disease proceeds in a chronic form with periodic periods of relapse. General symptoms of the disease:

• belching, leaving behind a sour taste;
• frequent and prolonged heartburn, which is difficult to stop with drugs;
• pain occurs when the stomach is empty or during a night's sleep;
• vomiting that occurs almost immediately after eating;
• rapid weight loss;
• anemia - occurs if the period of exacerbation is accompanied by frequent stomach bleeding.

In severe peptic ulcer disease, the following symptoms appear:

• prolonged and profuse bleeding;
• the formation of perforations in the walls of the stomach;
• stenosis.

People with ulcers experience other problems with the digestive system, which arise from the fact that the outflow of gastric juice is impaired. Against the background of an ulcer, in the absence of its timely treatment, pancreatitis, chronic duodenitis appears, the functioning of the biliary tract is disrupted.

These signs are common, the nature of their manifestation depends on many factors: the stage of development of the disease and how a person eats. An improper diet can significantly accelerate the development of an ulcer, and then clinical manifestations will occur rapidly and in an intense form.

Stomach ulcers most commonly cause abdominal pain and a burning sensation. The painful symptom is localized in the region of the lower part of the chest, slightly to the left. Gradually, the pain begins to spread to the back.

Pain may not be recognized immediately. With an ulcer, this symptom is similar to a strong feeling of hunger. Therefore, such a symptom can be stopped after taking a small amount of food. Frequent snacking leads to weight gain.

Differences between gastric diseases

Despite the similarity of clinical manifestations and the general mechanisms of the formation and development of pathological processes, there are a number of signs that make it possible to distinguish gastritis from peptic ulcer.

To understand how to distinguish gastritis from a stomach ulcer, you need to know different character manifestation of symptoms.

Features of the course of peptic ulcer:

1. Pain. Occurs only during a long absence of food in the stomach and during a night's sleep, almost never bothers after eating.
2. Belching is always only sour.
3. Violation of the stool - characterized by prolonged and frequent constipation.
4. Type of anemia - normochromic, occurs only during an exacerbation, if bleeding occurs in the stomach.
5. Asthenic syndromes are always progressive.
6. The probability of opening gastric bleeding is only during a relapse.

The nature of the course of the same symptoms in gastritis:

1. Pain. It appears every time, 20-30 minutes after taking it.
2. Belching leaves behind a sour smell in the oral cavity if the disease is accompanied by high acidity; if the pH level is lowered, belching is accompanied by a putrid odor.
3. Stool - prolonged and frequent diarrhea.
4. Anemia - hypochromic type, occurs due to iron deficiency.
5. Asthenic syndrome - accompanied by a moderate course, with mild symptoms.
6. Bleeding is absent.

Differences allow to make a primary diagnosis before carrying out comprehensive survey. Ulcer or gastritis - the doctor decides only after a thorough examination of the patient.

Diagnosis of diseases of the digestive system

The difference between the signs of diseases is not always expressed. If gastritis or an ulcer is at an early stage of formation, an accurate diagnosis can only be made by conducting a comprehensive examination, which includes the following tests and instrumental methods:

1. Blood tests, general and biochemical, with the determination of the concentration of hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocyte.
2. Respiratory urease test - reveals an infectious pathogen.
3. Determination of the level of acidity.
4. Laboratory examination of feces for the presence of occult blood.
5. X-ray of the stomach using a contrast agent.
6. Fibrogastroesophagoduodenoscopy with biopsy.

Conducted if necessary ultrasonography stomach and intestines, tomography.

Diagnostic signs and differences between gastritis and peptic ulcer

The difference between diseases of the digestive system is visible during endoscopic examination. An ulcer differs from gastritis in clinical indicators:

1. Folds - concentrated around the ulcerative formation on the mucosa.
2. The color of the mucous walls - hyperemia of the membrane is noted, on which there are foci of scarring on the connective tissues, the color is from saturated red to pale.
3. Defects. The foci are rounded, with a deepening in the center, the color is yellow or gray.
4. Bleeding - in the center at the bottom of the ulcerative focus or along its edges.
5. The vascular pattern is moderate during the remission period, it is not observed in the exacerbation phase.

The difference between gastritis and ulcers:

1. Folds. They are evenly distributed, under the influence of air they easily straighten out, the folds thicken due to tissue swelling and infiltration processes.
2. Color of mucous membranes. Red, in some places there are foci with inclusions as in scarlet fever. Mucous membranes may be pale, with alternating pink and white lesions.
3. Defects are absent.
4. Bleeding - occurs only when the instrument touches the damaged areas of the mucous membranes.
5. Vessel pattern - in atrophic processes it is clearly distinguishable, if gastritis proceeds in a hyperacid form, the vascular pattern is not determined.

It is necessary to understand exactly how to distinguish an ulcer from gastritis in order to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. For this, it is not enough to analyze the symptomatic picture; a comprehensive study of the state of the gastrointestinal tract is mandatory.

Feature of the treatment

Big difference between appointment medicines no, but the patient must understand how the treatment of diseases differs. For both pathologies of the digestive system, the following drugs are prescribed:

1. Antibiotics - destroy the pathogen Helicobacter pylori.
2. Proton pump blockers - slow down the secretion of hydrochloric acid.
3. Medicines of the antacid group - reduce the degree negative impact on the mucous membranes of the stomach.
4. Bismuth drugs - form on the mucous membranes protective film, which has cytoprotective and antibacterial action.
5. Antispasmodics - reduce the severity of painful symptoms, stop muscle spasms.
6. Alginates - stop the process of reflux formation by creating a barrier on the mucous membranes.

The choice of drugs may differ depending on what caused the pathological process in the stomach, the type of pathogen and the severity of the clinical case.

Special place in the treatment of peptic ulcer and gastritis takes therapeutic diet. It must be strictly observed. Compliance with a certain diet helps to eliminate painful symptoms and slow down the further development of the pathological process.

List of foods that diet allows for gastritis and ulcers:

1. Lean meats - chicken, rabbit, beef.
2. Low-fat fish - perch, pike perch and pelengas.
3. Kasha with milk.
4. Neutral, non-acidic vegetables and fruits - carrots, beets and potatoes, bananas, pumpkins, peaches.
5. Mild spices - thyme, curry, ginger.
6. Dairy and sour-milk products with minimal or medium fat content.

Prohibited Products:

1. Fatty meat, lard, fish.
2. Bean cultures.
3. Acidic vegetables and fruits - apples, tomatoes, plums, White cabbage, garlic.
4. Spices containing red or black pepper.
5. Dairy and sour-milk products with a high fat content.

With these diseases, the main principle is to eat often, but little by little, to observe the drinking regimen. If it will be performed correct selection food, peptic ulcer and gastritis will gradually begin to slow down their development, the general condition and functioning of the digestive system will improve.

It is difficult to say which is worse, gastritis or gastric ulcer. Both pathological processes have a similar mechanism of development and similar clinical manifestations. Both gastritis and ulcers without timely treatment lead to severe complications from the gastrointestinal tract and can provoke the development of stomach cancer.

The modern lifestyle does not predispose to measuredness, so many do not find time to have a full meal. And irregular nutrition, as well as dry food, leads to the fact that diseases of the digestive system began to affect almost every second person.

The most common diseases are ulcers and gastritis, we will consider the differences between these diseases below.

What is gastritis and ulcer

First of all, you should understand what these common diseases are. Gastritis is usually called an inflammatory process of varying degrees of intensity, covering the epithelial layer that lines the stomach from the inside.

With the development of the disease, most often, there is a violation of the secretory function in the direction of increasing or decreasing. But in some cases, the disease proceeds without changing the level of acidity of gastric juice.

Inflammation comes in many forms. The most common variety is . This disease responds well to treatment, at the initial stage it happens enough.

However, not all patients pay attention to slight discomfort, so the process progresses and it becomes more and more difficult to cure the disease. With a decrease in the level of natural protection of the inner walls, superficial erosions form on the mucous membranes of the stomach. In this case, the disease is much more severe, and it is much more difficult to cure it.

In the event that erosion deepens and affects not only the mucous layer, but also the deeper tissues of the stomach, an ulcer develops. The main factor in the development of gastric ulcers is hyperacidity, since it is the acid that irritates the tissues, contributing to the appearance and deepening of defects. The most dangerous complication is perforation of the stomach wall. The patient needs urgent surgery to save his life.

How to distinguish an ulcer from gastritis

As is clear from the descriptions of the disease, an ulcer can be a complication of gastritis, which was not detected and cured in time. How to distinguish between gastritis or ulcers causing stomach pain? It should be noted that it is far from always possible to recognize the type of disease on the basis of only the study of symptoms.

The differences between gastritis and stomach ulcers in external manifestations are insignificant, therefore it is a mandatory measure. But still, some differences can be noted that will allow you to recognize a peptic ulcer.

difference in symptoms

Let's figure out what symptoms indicate that a patient develops a stomach ulcer. First of all, you need to pay attention to the nature of painful sensations:

• with gastritis, pain is felt “in the pit of the stomach”, with an ulcer, the pain is diffuse, they often radiate to the back or chest, which is why patients sometimes confuse them with heart pain;

Advice! The localization of pain in peptic ulcer disease is difficult to identify, since it depends on where the ulcer has formed.

• pain that occurs on an empty stomach is characteristic of both pathologies. But with an ulcer, pain can occur as early as 1 hour after eating, and with gastritis, discomfort appears later - after 2-3 hours;

• peptic ulcer worsens, as a rule, in the off-season, but with gastritis there is no clearly defined seasonality of exacerbations, pain can disturb all year round;
• with an ulcer, many patients note the appearance of pain at night, moreover, to improve the condition, it is enough just to eat something. With gastritis at night, discomfort does not occur, but during wakefulness, the stomach can hurt constantly;
• eating with an ulcer usually relieves pain. But with gastritis, on the contrary, eating can increase pain.

Similar Symptoms

But still, both gastritis and ulcers have similar manifestations that are characteristic of all gastric diseases. Among the similar symptoms of gastritis and ulcers:

• , which can be both aching and sharp;
• , with peptic ulcer, vomiting often occurs, for gastritis this is less common;

• heartburn;
• feeling of heaviness, fullness of the stomach.

Diagnostic methods

Thus, to make an accurate diagnosis, it is not enough to study the symptoms alone. It is necessary to undergo an examination. The most informative is not the most pleasant FGDS procedure.

During it, the specialist injects through the esophagus flexible hose with a special sensor at the end. Due to this, it becomes possible to visually inspect the surface of the walls of the stomach (the image is displayed on the monitor). The specialist will be able to see the nature of the damage and make an accurate diagnosis.

Differences in treatment

Both diseases require serious and immediate treatment. Do not assume that gastritis is not a serious disease. In the absence of adequate therapeutic measures, the disease progresses rapidly and can be complicated by the formation of an ulcer or the formation of a tumor.

Treatment of patients with gastritis and peptic ulcer is prescribed individually, taking into account indications. Most often, it is assigned:

• with the help of antispasmodics;
• antacids - agents that neutralize excess acid;
• proton pump inhibitors - substances that slow down the action of glands that synthesize acid;
• are prescribed if the infectious nature of gastritis or ulcers is revealed during the examination. For the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection, two antibacterial drugs from different groups are prescribed;
• restorative agents are necessary for the fastest healing of injuries, most often, bismuth salts are prescribed.

Advice! Patients need not only to take medications, but also strictly follow the diet prescribed by the specialist.

In the most advanced cases, surgical treatment of gastric ulcers is performed.

So, it is not possible to distinguish gastritis from an ulcer only by symptoms in all cases. Often, ailments manifest the same symptoms. Therefore, with the appearance of discomfort in the abdomen, one should not delay the passage of a specific examination. After confirming the diagnosis, the gastroenterologist prescribes treatment depending on individual indications.