Is non-atrophic antral gastritis serious?

Non-atrophic antral gastritis is a relatively serious disease, because after the onset of the disease it will affect normal eating and digestive functions, and cause great harm to the human body. Therefore, everyone should pay attention to reasonable adjustments in daily life. Generally, it is necessary to start with diet, and then cooperate with drug treatment methods to slowly adjust, eliminate fungi, and inhibit bacteria. The treatment effect can be achieved through these methods.

The treatment goals of chronic non-atrophic gastritis are to relieve indigestion symptoms and improve gastric mucosal inflammation. Treatment should be targeted at the cause as much as possible and follow the principle of individualization. No special treatment is required for patients with asymptomatic, Helicobacter pylori-negative non-atrophic gastritis.

1. About eradication of Helicobacter pylori

As mentioned before, the main symptom of chronic non-atrophic gastritis is indigestion, which should be classified as functional dyspepsia. At present, eradication treatment is recommended both at home and abroad for functional dyspepsia caused by Helicobacter pylori. Therefore, Helicobacter pylori should be eradicated in all patients with Helicobacter pylori-positive chronic non-atrophic gastritis and dyspepsia symptoms. A large number of research results have shown that eradication of Helicobacter pylori can improve gastric mucosal histology; it is of great significance for the prevention of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer; and it has cost-effectiveness advantages in improving or eliminating indigestion symptoms.

2. Treatment of indigestion symptoms

Since there is no clear relationship between clinical symptoms and chronic non-atrophic gastritis, symptomatic treatment is actually empirical treatment of functional dyspepsia. Patients with chronic gastritis and bile reflux can use prokinetic drugs (such as domperidone) and/or gastric mucosal protective agents that have the function of binding bile acid (such as aluminum carbonate preparations). For patients with gastric mucosal erosion and/or symptoms such as acid reflux and upper abdominal pain, antacids, H2 receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can be used according to the severity of the disease or symptoms. Prokinetic drugs such as domperidone, mosapride and itopride hydrochloride can be used for patients with upper abdominal fullness, nausea or vomiting as the main symptoms. Gastric mucosal protective agents such as sucralfate, rebamipide, teprenone, gefarnate, ecabet and aluminum carbonate are suitable for people with bile reflux, gastric mucosal damage and/or obvious symptoms. Antidepressants or antianxiety drugs can be used for patients with chronic gastritis and dyspepsia symptoms with obvious psychiatric factors. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment can broaden the treatment options for chronic gastritis. In addition to their symptomatic therapeutic effects, the above-mentioned drugs may also have certain effects on gastric mucosal epithelial repair and inflammation.

Prognosis: Since the occurrence of most chronic gastritis is related to Helicobacter pylori infection, and the spontaneous clearance of Helicobacter pylori is relatively rare, chronic gastritis can persist and most patients may be asymptomatic. Epidemiological studies have shown that some Helicobacter pylori-related antral gastritis (<20%) may develop into duodenal ulcers, and a small number of chronic non-atrophic gastritis may develop into chronic multifocal atrophic gastritis, the latter of which is often accompanied by intestinal metaplasia. Chronic gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori infection may occasionally lead to gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. The consequences of Helicobacter pylori infection vary among different individuals in different populations, which is believed to be the result of the interaction between bacteria, host (genetic) and environmental factors, but the specific mechanism has not yet been fully understood.