Features of weight loss with gastritis and gastric ulcer

While most women, and often men, suffer from extra pounds, patients with gastritis have another problem - extreme thinness. Leaving everything as it is will not work. Constant weight loss with gastritis leads to weight loss and severe exhaustion of the body. Why is the patient losing weight? How to deal with this? Let's answer these and other questions.

Gastritis can cause severe weight loss. How to understand that thinness has become dangerous to health? It is necessary to calculate the body mass index (BMI). The calculation can be carried out using the formula: m/h², i.e. it is necessary to divide a person’s body weight in kilograms (m) by the square of height (h²) in meters. If you get a figure from 18.5 to 25, then there is no need to worry, your weight is still normal. A BMI below 18.5 cm shows that there is already a shortage of kilograms, and below 16 - serious pathological processes have begun in the body.

The age of the patient is also important here. In young people, weight fluctuations are acceptable, since studying and playing sports may result in additional calorie consumption. In addition, changes in hormonal levels often affect weight. If mature or elderly people lose weight, and there were no dietary restrictions or emotional stress, then sometimes this is a symptom of a dangerous disease.

Stomach pain

Ulcers occur on the lining of the stomach, and for this reason the most common symptom of their development is pain in the abdominal area. It is usually felt between the lower chest and the navel. It can be both dull and sharp. When gastric juice enters damaged areas of the stomach, the pain is felt more strongly. Depending on the severity of the disease, pain can last from several minutes to several hours. As a rule, it worsens at night or on an empty stomach. However, an ulcer does not always cause pain, especially in the early stages of its development.

Weight loss with malignant tumors

A growing cancer tumor releases toxins that poison the body. This inevitably leads to deterioration of health and pain, accompanied by loss of appetite. Some types of cancer, such as tumors of the stomach, pancreas, liver and intestines, prevent food from being fully digested and transported.

Cancer patients lose weight from toxic chemotherapy drugs and radiation. As a result of their use, nausea, vomiting, and deterioration in general condition often occur. Under these conditions, you simply don’t feel like eating.

This is not a complete list of all conditions accompanied by sudden weight loss. But in any case, such a situation requires a comprehensive examination.

Vomiting blood

The formation of ulcers on the gastric mucosa is often accompanied by vomiting. If during it a person feels acute pain in the abdomen and notices particles of blood in the vomit, then this may be a sure sign of the active development of a stomach ulcer. This symptom should not be missed. Sometimes with an ulcer, the vomit looks like a viscous, brown-brown thick substance. This is a sign that the integrity of the blood vessels in the stomach is compromised and urgent treatment is necessary. Vomiting blood indicates wounds on the mucous membrane.

Weight loss in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

The reason may be improper functioning of the stomach, accompanied by an insufficient amount of acid digesting the food bolus. As a result, the absorption of nutritional elements deteriorates and involuntary weight loss occurs. Patients suffer from nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, and they lose weight.

However, only rough processing of food occurs in the stomach, then all incoming products are digested in the small intestine. For this, bile produced by liver cells - hepatocytes, and pancreatic juice secreted by the pancreas are used.

A huge amount of substances secreted by the duodenum is involved in the digestion of food. It is thanks to them that nutrients are absorbed by the body. When the small intestine malfunctions, healthy food ingredients fly into the toilet with food and the patient loses weight.

Nutrients from the duodenum enter the blood. Some of them go directly to the organs, but the bulk is further processed in the liver. This largest digestive gland plays the role of a cook - it sorts, cuts, prepares and sends nutritional elements to the organs. Therefore, with liver disease, the patient also loses weight.

After the small intestine, food enters the large intestine, where it is finally processed by billions of bacteria. However, with dysbacteriosis, a condition accompanied by the death of beneficial microflora, the food mass is not digested and begins to rot.

Putrefactive processes poison the body, which is accompanied by deterioration in health and weight loss. Dysbacteriosis often causes diarrhea - in this case, nutrients are lost along with loose stools.

Sudden weight loss is caused by:

Inflammatory pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract - gastritis, duodenitis, pancreatitis and hepatitis.
Gastroptosis (prolapse of the stomach).
Degeneration of liver and pancreas tissue.
Intestinal pathologies - colitis, enterocolitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome.
Functional disorders - disruption of the passage of food, secretion and outflow of bile.

Dark color of stool

Blood from stomach ulcers also affects the color of the stool. The onset of a peptic ulcer may be indicated by a darkish tint of stool and its unusual viscous consistency. In such cases, it is important to promptly seek medical help. If there is bleeding in the stomach, the stool will gradually turn from light yellow, brown to black. Changes in the color and consistency of stool occur due to a chemical reaction between gastric juice and hemoglobin in the intestines. Sometimes there may be blood clots in the stool.

Dietary recommendations for weight loss

For gastritis with high acidity, the emphasis should be on alkaline foods: vegetables, oatmeal, greens, cauliflower and broccoli, nuts. However, the abundance of fiber does not have a very favorable effect on a sore stomach, so you should balance your diet with neutral foods: milk, lean meat, buckwheat.
If you have a duodenal or stomach ulcer, you need to eat little and often. Overeating harms the stomach in the same way as fasting. Therefore, warm dishes made from boiled foods will help reduce inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, ease the acute course of the disease and help you lose weight.
For patients with gastritis, protein foods are fundamental, since amino acids affect the acid-base balance.
For duodenal ulcers, the recommendations are the same as for gastric ulcers.
With low acidity, food is not sufficiently digested in the stomach; the body requires acid from the outside. Products that are recommended by experts in this situation: lemon, lingonberries and cranberries, cabbage.
You should not avoid taking medications prescribed by your doctor. During the period of remission, it is useful to take flax seeds and cook oatmeal jelly for prevention.
Rapid weight loss during an exacerbation of gastritis can become an indicator of a weakened body. In this case, you should adhere to the diet prescribed by a specialist, maintain a water-drinking balance and eat small meals. Your weight will return to normal as you feel better.
If the symptoms of a gastrointestinal tract disease are obvious, and your weight only increases, you need to reconsider your diet and again turn to the rules of eating for problems with the digestive system.
At the stage of remission, you need to very carefully switch from diet number 1 to normal nutrition, avoiding strictly prohibited foods. Fresh vegetables and fruits, fatty meats and fish should be introduced into the diet gradually.
Remember that completely avoiding junk food will help both your well-being and the weight loss process.
When the pain associated with exacerbation of chronic gastritis or ulcers ceases, many people begin to “lean heavily” on previously prohibited foods, and also eat large portions. This is absolutely impossible to do. Such a nutritional system can provoke an exacerbation of the disease and excess weight gain.
Walking in the fresh air and energizing morning exercise will only be beneficial for intensifying weight loss and curing diseases. This way, metabolic processes in the body are launched, overall tone increases, and mood improves.
The use of dietary supplements and vitamin complexes will also be beneficial. The immune system, weakened during the exacerbation of the disease, needs support. However, before taking any synthetic drugs, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Weight loss with gastritis and ulcers occurs gradually. You should not create a new load for the body and exhaust it with strict diets.

Heartburn

Heartburn is nothing more than a symptom of acid reflux, and it may well be associated with a stomach ulcer. If the burning sensation in the esophagus goes away immediately after drinking water, then this should not cause much concern. But constant discomfort in the stomach may well indicate a peptic ulcer. In this case, heartburn appears immediately after eating and is often accompanied by hiccups. If it causes great discomfort, it is important to seek medical help.

What do doctors say about losing weight with stomach and duodenal ulcers?

It is possible to lose weight after adjusting your diet, but it is important to take an integrated approach to solving the problem of excess weight. We are talking about the need for physical activity on the body. In the case of a diagnosed peptic ulcer, this can be walking, swimming in the pool, exercise with a hula hoop, jumping rope, a standard morning exercise routine, or cycling.

The main thing is to follow the rule of regular exercise: you need to exercise daily in order not only to get rid of excess weight, but also to tighten your skin and strengthen your muscles.

Reducing portions and eliminating foods prohibited on a weight loss diet can be done gradually; this will be a kind of preparation for restoring weight and body contour. For 2-4 weeks, you need to remove 1 teaspoon of food per day from your plate and reduce the amount of prohibited foods. For example, instead of a whole cake, eat only half and continue this way until you completely give up dessert.

Intolerance to fatty foods

Most often, this symptom is associated with gallstones. But difficulties with digesting fatty foods can also be a sign of peptic ulcer disease. This is caused by visceral sensitization - an increased degree of sensitivity of the damaged mucosa. In such cases, there is often an ulcer of the pyloric canal. Intolerance to foods rich in fat is often accompanied by nausea and bloating.

People suffering from peptic ulcers should avoid consuming foods with high fat content. After all, they increase the production of gastric juices and negatively affect the stomach tissue. In addition, it is advisable to avoid drinks containing caffeine, alcohol and gases. It is best to completely switch to a healthy diet and proper drinking regimen, which will have a positive effect on the healing of the stomach.

Nuts for stomach ulcers: benefits and possible harm, in what form is best to eat

Features of treatment

The drug has gastroprotective, antiulcer and antibacterial effects.
If the cause of ulcer formation is considered to be Helicobacter pylori activity, then treatment begins with taking antibacterial drugs. Several types of antibiotics are prescribed, such as Tetracycline. To normalize the acidity of gastric juice, the disturbance of which provokes nausea and heartburn, the antisecretory agent “Omez” and the anticides “Almagel” and “Maalox” are used. If necessary, antispasmodics, probiotics and sedatives are prescribed. It is mandatory to use products that have a protective effect on the mucous membrane, enveloping it. The following medications are used for this purpose:

"De-nol";
"Sucralfate."

Surgery is performed only in severe cases when drug therapy does not produce the desired effect. As a rule, operations are performed in cases of severe bleeding, perforation of ulcerative defects, the presence of neoplasms and complex stenoses. During the period of remission, means of physical rehabilitation are used, such as exercise therapy, massage and physiotherapy. You can use folk recipes, especially fresh potato juice and oat broth.

Diet for stomach ulcers and weight loss

Diet for ulcers plays an important role. Proper nutrition normalizes the digestion process, reduces the severity of negative symptoms and helps suppress the inflammatory process. It is important that the products are easily digestible and saturate the body with useful substances. For this purpose, diet No. 1 is used. It includes light soups with vegetable broth, liquid cereals, low-fat dairy products and meats, and beekeeping products. Food is consumed boiled or steamed and warm. Fatty foods, alcohol and coffee are strictly prohibited.

Loss of appetite

At the initial stage of peptic ulcer disease, a sharp cooling of interest in food is often observed. This is often associated with sudden and severe pain in the stomach. As a rule, pain after eating causes fear and aversion to eating. Therefore, people prefer not to eat anything to avoid subsequent discomfort. A loss of appetite can lead to weakness and fatigue, which can negatively affect your overall health. If you lose your appetite for no apparent reason, you should immediately consult a doctor for advice.

If at least one of the symptoms described above appears, you need to make an appointment with your doctor. It is very important to respond to the problem in a timely manner, otherwise the disease will be difficult to treat and will cause a lot of unpleasant consequences.

Causes of gastritis and ulcers

Eating disorders. These include: irregular nutrition, prolonged fasting, overeating, excessive consumption of acidic foods (such as fast food, confectionery and flour products, smoked foods, spicy, fatty and fried foods, carbonated sweet drinks).
Addiction to alcohol. Frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages negatively affects the body of any healthy person. The digestive organs are primarily affected.
Excessive use of medications. As a rule, each medicine has side effects and contraindications, which are rarely paid attention to. However, indiscriminate use of pharmacological agents often leads to various ailments, disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system and painful reactions.
Stressful condition. Living in big cities is fraught with all sorts of problems, worries, nervous tension, sleep disturbances, which over time affects the general condition of the body. Often, diseases of internal organs become chronic due to stressful situations.
Action of bacteria. This problem depends on many internal and external reasons. Inflammation of the digestive organs can be a consequence of serious illnesses, viral infections, which require long-term use of antibiotics.
The negative impact of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which must be treated with antibiotics as prescribed by a doctor.

Any diets for weight loss (especially single-component ones) are strictly contraindicated not only during exacerbations, but also during remission. If you need to lose weight, you need to turn to proper nutrition and moderate physical activity.