“Stress is not a friend to the stomach”: a gastroenterologist spoke about the main threats to the health of the gastrointestinal tract

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract from year to year accompany a huge number of Russians. Many factors can provoke pain and bloating in the abdomen: malnutrition, stress, heredity and bad habits. Is it possible to ignore unpleasant symptoms, when to see a doctor and why you should not be afraid of gastroscopy – “MK” was told gastroenterologists.

insidious gastritis

“A healthy person needs to have a check-up once a year,” explained Svetlana Vlasova, a gastroenterologist at the Open Clinic. According to the doctor, gastroenterology covers a large area of ​​medicine. Gastroenterologists have extensive contact with doctors of other specialties: endocrinologists, dermatologists, and others, so this is a large and capacious area.

As the doctor emphasized, many people live under the influence of a popular, but very harmful myth: “If I eat right, then gastrointestinal diseases do not threaten me.” Doctors insist: diet is only part of the system and is far from a guarantee of high-quality work of the gastrointestinal tract.

– There are many reasons for the development of diseases: these are food hygiene, lifestyle and heredity. During self-isolation, by the way, many began to move less, and this led to many gastrointestinal diseases, including in young people who had not previously had such diseases, Svetlana Vlasova explained.

Another common myth is “If nothing hurts, then I’m healthy.” Unfortunately, many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can be completely asymptomatic for many years. One of the most common is gastritis.

One of the most common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is gastritis. Chronic gastritis is often asymptomatic. There is a myth that the body needs regular cleansing procedures, but this is not true. If you eat right and balanced and use energy correctly, then the body does not need outside intervention. Only if failures occur in the body, in these cases such procedures may be needed, the gastroenterologist concluded.

The danger of this disease is that sooner or later, without proper therapy, it can develop into cancer.

But doctors have useful tips for those who want to minimize the risks of stomach and intestinal diseases:

– It is necessary to observe personal hygiene;

– People should attend to the study of the heredity of diseases;

– It is important to get enough sleep;

– Get tested for Helicibacter Pylori.

– Now, against the backdrop of a general weakening of the immune system, 50% of people can find the bacterium Helicibacter Pylori. This disease is classified as an infectious disease by gastroenterologists. To avoid such an infection, you need to wash your hands and dishes well, as well as use individual towels. It is not transmitted by airborne droplets. Dishwashers, by the way, kill all these bacteria very well, – said Svetlana Vlasova.

According to the doctor, in most cases, malnutrition and stress lead to gastritis. But the main risk is that gastritis can turn into oncology. And it is the very bacterium Helicibacter Pylori that provokes such a deterioration.

For gastroscopy without fear

Unfortunately, it is impossible to make a diagnosis by eye. Ultrasound is also not an effective diagnostic method. To find out everything about your inner world, you need to do a gastroscopy. Doctors strongly advise patients not to be afraid of this procedure. Unpleasant sensations with her last only a minute or two. But as a result, the doctor gets a complete picture and can prescribe the most effective treatment for you.

How to prepare for a gastroscopy?

Doctors explain that this procedure is performed on an empty stomach, so the patient should not eat for 8-12 hours before the study. On the eve, it is recommended to eat low-calorie, light foods, to give up fatty, meat, alcohol. It is forbidden to consume gas-producing foods such as cabbage, fresh bread, carbonated drinks, legumes. Also, do not smoke before the study.

Painful sensations during the study are excluded. For this, local anesthesia of the oropharynx is performed with special sprays with an analgesic. In rare cases, if there are contraindications to local anesthesia, general anesthesia is used – drug sleep.

It is used in cases where the patient has contraindications to general anesthesia. Also, gastroscopy in a dream is performed for persons with mental and other disabilities that prevent them from performing an examination in the mind, for children under six years of age.

If the patient categorically refuses to do gastroscopy, there is an alternative diagnostic method – capsular. The time of such a study is 6-8 hours. The patient swallows a special miniature capsule with an autonomous light source and a transmitter. The device passes through the entire gastrointestinal tract and takes pictures. A receiving device is placed on the patient’s belt.

The capsule is excreted from the body naturally. The doctor, using a reader, evaluates the condition of the mucous membranes of the stomach, esophagus and intestines. However, this method is rarely used due to its high cost. In addition, such a study can be very inconvenient for the patient.

The health of your stomach is in your hands! Watch your health and nutrition and try to be less nervous. And if you still have questions for doctors, ask them by sending an email to [email protected]