Stomach is an important organ of the body between the esophagus and small intestines and it is the place where digestion of proteins starts. The functions of stomach include; swallowing of food, mixing of food with stomach acids and sending this mixture on to the small intestine. Any damage to this organ can badly affects your body. Many individuals suffer from stomach diseases at one time or another, some are common issues like heartburn or indigestion but some stomach diseases need proper attention and full treatment. Here we have the list of 10 Dangerous And Most Common Stomach Diseases. Read this article and know about these diseases for the sake of your health.
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10. Hiatus Hernia
It is a stomach disease in which there is protrusion of the stomach’s upper part into the thorax due to weakness or a tear in the diaphragm. The risk factors that can lead to this disease are increased abdominal pressure due to heavy lifting, frequent coughing, violent vomiting, hard sneezing, and stress. It has been sometimes titled the “great mimic” as it symptoms can featured like many other disorders. In many cases, the individuals experience no discomfort and therefore no treatment is required. But in some cases surgery is required.
9. Menetrier Disease
It is also known as hypoproteinemic hypertrophy gastropathy. Menetrier disease is an acquired, rare, premalignant disease identified by massive gastric folds, little or no acid production, and excessive mucous production. The disease is related with the excessive secretion of transforming growth factor alpha. The cause of this disease is not known, but it has been correlated with cytomegalovirus infection in children and Helicobacter Pylori infections in adults. Symptoms of this disease include epigastric pain, nausea, diarrhea and weight loss. The sever form of this disease can result in gross edema and ascites. There is a well documented link between this disease and gastric cancer. Its treatment includes eradications of the infections if present.
8. Gastric Varices
Gastric varices are dilated submucosal veins in the stomach. They cause no symptoms unless they rupture and bleed and therefore can be life threatening cause of upper GIT hemorrhage. They are commonly present in individuals with portal hypertension or increased pressure in the portal vein system. They can also be found in individuals with the thrombosis of the splenic vein. Individuals with bleeding gastric varices complain with bloody vomiting, rectal bleeding and dark, tarry stools. Its treatment includes injection of varices with cyanoacrylate glue, or decreasing the pressure in portal vein by a radiological procedure. More aggressive treatment like liver transplantation or splenectomey may be needed in some cases.
7. Pyloric Stenosis
It is also known as pylorostenosis and in this disease there is narrowing of the opening of the stomach to the first part of the small intestine, because of enlargement of the muscles that surrounds the opening, which contracts when the stomach empties. It causes severe projectile vomiting and it most commonly occurs in the early few months of life and then it is termed as infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. It can be felt as an olive shaped mass in the upper right side of the abdomen of the infant. It also happens in adults and in them the cause of narrowed pylorus is scarring due to chronic peptic ulceration. The pyloric stenosis in infants is generally managed with surgery, however in few cases it can be treated medically.
6. Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is also known as stomach flu or gastric flu, although it is unrelated to influenza. It is a medical condition that arises from the inflammation of gastrointestinal tract and involves both the stomach and the small intestine. It causes some combination of vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and pain.
The typical cause of gastroenteritis is a viral or bacterial infection, however there are various others infective agents that can cause this disease, but they are less common. The risk of infection is higher in children due to relatively poor hygiene and decreased immunity.
It can be prevented by changing lifestyle and vaccination. It is usually acute and self limiting disease that requires no medication. But rehydration with oral rehydration therapy is extremely important in individuals with mild to moderate dehydration. Antiemetic drugs are used to treat vomiting and antibiotics are given when the symptoms are extremely severe.
5. Peptic Ulcer
It is an obvious rift in the mucosal lining of the stomach and is termed as gastric ulcer and if the breach is in the first part of the small intestine mucosal lining then it is termed as duodenal ulcer. It is a consequence of caustic effects of pepsin and acid in the lumen. Peptic ulcer is the commonest ulcer of an area of the GIT that is generally acidic and is extremely painful. The common cause of peptic ulcer is stomach infection caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria, it is also caused by non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs.
Symptoms of peptic ulcer can be upper abdominal pain, sometimes food makes this pain worse, bloating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal fullness, loss of appetite, and weight loss. The complications of this disease include, bleeding of ulcer that can vary from minor bleed to a life threatening bleed and perforation that usually causes extreme pain and is a medical emergency. Treatment is possible by curing cause of the disease.
4. Gastritis
Gastritis is an irritation, erosion or inflammation of the stomach lining. It can be acute or chronic. It can be caused from irritation because of excessive alcohol use, stress, chronic vomiting or by the use of certain medications like aspirin or other anti inflammatory medicines. It may also develop after traumatic injury, major surgery, burns or sever infections .Its symptoms vary among patients and in various individuals there are no symptoms. However its common symptoms include recurrent stomach upset, nausea, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, indigestion, vomiting, burning sensations in stomach between meals, and loss of appetite. Its treatment commonly include taking antacids or other medications like proton pump inhibitors, antibiotics and eliminating irritating and hot and spicy food from the diet. If the cause of gastritis is pernicious anemia then vitamin B12 shots should be given.
3. Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis, also termed as delayed gastric emptying, is a medical condition in which there is partial paralysis of the stomach that results in remaining food in the stomach for an abnormally long time. This disease may occur due to damage of the vagus nerve and the stomach and intestinal muscles do not work properly. Nerve damage due to diabetes or other conditions may damage the contractions of stomach muscles. The most common symptoms of this disease are chronic nausea, chronic vomiting, feeling of fullness, abdominal pain, the other symptoms include palpitations, bloating, heartburn, GERD, loss of appetite, weight loss and spasms of the muscle wall. It treatment includes dietary changes and oral medications.
2. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Gatroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also named as acid reflux disease or gastric reflux disease. In this disease the stomach contents including acid can move backward up to the esophagus. Gastroesophageal reflux is a condition and there may be no symptoms, or there may be heartburn or coughing but when symptoms of reflux become troubling or occur repeatedly, they are called GERD. It can lead to serious esophageal problems.
It is commonly caused by the changes in the barrier between the esophagus and stomach, including improper relaxation of the lower sphincter of esophagus that is normally responsible for closure of the top of the stomach, hiatus hernia or improper expulsion of the gastric reflux from the esophagus. The most common symptoms of GERD are regurgitation and heartburn whereas the less common symptoms include nausea, increased salivation, pain with swallowing, coughing and chest pain. It can be treated through change in lifestyle and medications like proton pump inhibitors, antacids, or H2 receptors blockers.
1. Stomach Cancer
Stomach cancer also termed as gastric cancer, is a malignant tumor that originated from the stomach’s lining. It is an uncommon sort of cancer in the United States of America and there has been significant decrease in the cases of stomach cancer in the previous sixty years.The cancers of stomach are classified according to the sort of the tissue from where they originate, the commonest type of stomach cancer is adenocarcinoma that accounts for 90% to 95% cases of all stomach cancers. Other forms include sarcomas and lymphomas.
Early symptoms of this disease may include nausea, heartburn, loss of appetite and upper abdominal pain. Later symptoms include vomiting, weight loss, yellow skin, difficulty in swallowing and blood in stool.The cancer can expand to other body parts, especially lungs, liver, bones, abdominal lining and lymph nodes. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer and the 3rd leading cause of death from cancer in all over the world. H pylori infection, smoking and to some extent dietary factors are responsible for this disease.
This disease is difficult to treat, however if it is diagnosed at early stages then can be treated successfully.
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