Cardia of the stomach (in other words, chalazia) separates the internal cavity of the organ and the esophagus. It is a sphinker or muscular ring located at the junction of the stomach and esophagus. This ring is intended to ensure that food does not fall back into the esophagus. Insufficiency of the cardia means a violation of the sphincter, expressed in its incomplete closure. The disease can lead to scarring, ulcers in the esophagus, prolapse of the mucosa, and difficulty in swallowing. Therefore, it requires treatment, which can be carried out by three methods: surgical, medical and folk.
What is it - insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach
The disease develops as a result of exposure to certain negative factors that lead to insufficient closure of the cardia, which further contributes to the development of complications.
Anyone can be susceptible to this disease. Often it is not possible to prevent the causes. However, the most common causes are those associated with an unhe althy lifestyle. The main factors affecting the ability of the sphincter to close and causing the developmentinsufficiency of the cardia of the stomach:
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Beding before bed.
- Excessive s alt intake.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Stressful situations.
- Irregular meals.
- Being overweight.
- Reduced immunity.
- Lack of dietary fiber.
- Previous operations to remove the cardinal sphincter.
When several of these factors are present, cardia insufficiency occurs. Reflux is the backflow of food and stomach acid back into the esophagus. Non-closure of the cardia often provokes reflux. It is accompanied by an unpleasant belching. Because gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid to process incoming food, regular reflux can cause inflammation of the esophagus and even ulceration.
What diseases cause problems with the cardia of the stomach
In medicine, there are cases when the functional work of the sphincter was disrupted as a result of certain diseases. The most common ones are:
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Obesity.
- Asthma.
- Chronic diseases of the stomach (gastritis with cardia insufficiency, ulcers, tumors).
- Grasping hernia.
- Increased stomach acid.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach include the following physiological manifestations in the patient:
- Periodic burping, about whichwas mentioned above.
- Involuntary regurgitation of both gastric juice and overcooked food. Especially often this happens with a sharp change in position (sitting, lying, tilting).
- The patient experiences sharp or aching pain in the region of the esophagus that occurs when swallowing.
- Presence of heartburn.
- Difficulty eating due to spasms of the esophagus.
- When cardia is insufficiency, the patient feels better in the supine position. In the standing position, the pain becomes more intense.
However, the above symptomatic manifestations are not enough for an unambiguous and accurate diagnosis of cardia insufficiency, so multiple and thorough analyzes are necessary. First, for accurate diagnosis, radiography is recommended with an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. The person during the analysis should be in a horizontal position. The overall picture is given by a study using ultrasound, as well as a parallel esophagoscopy examination, which makes it possible to clarify the diagnosis. This method is based on measuring pressure data in the esophagus.
Classification
The degrees of insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach are as follows:
First. As a rule, at this stage, the sphincter does not close completely not every time after eating, but at some intervals. The gap resulting from incomplete closure is one third of the entire diameter of the esophagus. It is worth mentioning that the patient does not feel any discomfort. Most often, at the first stage of the disease, the patient is only disturbed by frequent belching with a pronounced unpleasantscent.
Second. At the next stage, cardia insufficiency manifests itself much more strongly. The resulting gap is equal to half the diameter of the esophagus. The patient is tormented by heartburn and severe pain, added to belching.
Third. This is the final, most severe degree of the disease. In this case, the valve does not close at all. In this case, the formation of ulcers and erosions is often observed, an inflammatory process is noted. The patient suffers from constant heartburn, frequent belching and nausea. Also, against the background of inflammation, the temperature rises, but within small limits.
Diagnosis
There is a fairly extensive list of ways to detect insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach:
- Gastrofibroscopy. The essence of this method is that a tube is lowered into the stomach - a probe that allows you to show whether there is a disease or not.
- Determination of gastric acid. To determine this indicator, the fractal sounding method is used (a rubber tube is used), gastric juice is aspirated and examined in the laboratory, drawing the appropriate conclusions.
- Diagnosis using methyl blue. The patient's stomach is treated with dye using an endoscope, and then the doctor examines using the same device.
- Endoscopy. Diagnosis is carried out according to the following scheme: the patient swallows a fiber optic tube, at the end of which there is a small camera and a light source. Thanks to the device, the doctor is able to assess the condition of the affected structures andchoose the most suitable treatment method.
- Gastrofibroscopy. The patient swallows a flexible gastroscope with wave optics. The procedure is carried out on an empty stomach and with the introduction of the necessary solutions into the body.
Treatment
There is a fairly extensive list of ways to treat insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach, including:
- Medication method.
- Surgical method.
- Traditional medicine.
Of course, each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Surgery
The most effective method of treating insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach is surgery. It is carried out only in exceptional cases: with organic insufficiency of the cardia, hernia, neglect of the disease itself. Also, surgery can be performed after a previous intervention that caused complications.
If the opening of the ring is complete, then the muscles are sutured without fail. This technique is used when there is no hope for treatment in other ways.
Surgical intervention for such a disease is always planned, because insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach does not pose a danger to human life, but only causes discomfort in everyday life.
Medicated treatment
- It should be borne in mind that the main task of medicines is not to eliminate the disease itself or its symptoms, but to eliminate the causes. Thus, drugs increase the tone of the sphincter,This ensures that nothing passes from the stomach into the esophagus. From the list of effective drugs, the following should be highlighted:
- "Perinorm". The price of the medicine is one hundred and seventy-nine rubles. Sold as a solution for intramuscular injection.
- "Metamol". You can buy it at a price of three hundred rubles. Sold as tablets.
- "Raglan". It exists in the form of tablets, but there is also a solution. You can buy the product for three hundred rubles.
- "Metoclopramide". This drug is offered for eighty-two rubles. Apply parenterally - intramuscularly. It is also quite often prescribed as a pain reliever.
Treatment with folk remedies
Some patients prefer to use traditional medicine, in the arsenal of which there is a fairly extensive list of recipes to reduce the symptoms of this disease, such as heartburn, belching, pain. The most popular remedies are shown in the following list.
- Tincture of St. John's wort, valerian and motherwort. The above herbs must be taken in equal proportions. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture with 1 cup of boiling water. Wrap and leave to infuse. Then, when the product has cooled, strain and drink during the day, adding honey to taste (there is no specific dose).
- Plantain juice. Take a teaspoon before each meal.
- Dandelion oil. Collect flowers (together with pedicels) of dandelions in sunny weather, knead them well,put in a jar and fill with fresh oil. Close the neck with gauze. Take the jar out into the sun. You need to insist the remedy for 21 days. After that, strain the contents of the jar and refrigerate. Consume one scoop three times a day.
- Peppermint. An alcoholic tincture of peppermint is considered quite effective. To prepare it, take five hundred milliliters of 75% alcohol per hundred grams of mint. To insist fourteen days. Consume as drops (20 drops per 50 ml of water).
Diet
With constant irritation of the walls of the esophagus by chemically active gastric juice, inflammation of its mucous membranes almost always occurs, which is called esophagitis in medicine. Insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach is directly "guilty" of its occurrence. There is a fairly extensive list of products that should be discarded in order to avoid additional irritation of the esophageal mucosa. This list includes:
- Spicy spices (cinnamon, turmeric, pepper).
- Spicy sauces and ketchups (chili sauce, adjika).
- Alcoholic drinks (vodka, wine, beer).
- Carbonated drinks (lemonade and others).
- Hot cocktails (punch).
- Smoked products (meat rolls, hams).
- Marinades.
- Pickles.
- Coffee.
- Strong tea.
- Semi-finished products.
- Different kinds of sausages.
It is also worth considering that a diet for insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach involves eating at least five times a day in small portions. This is due to the fact that at small "doses" the pressure inside the stomach decreases markedly. It is desirable that the patient take food warm, and not too hot or cold. After eating, it is strictly forbidden to lift any weights and make sharp bends, since the above actions increase intragastric pressure, which the patient should try to avoid. Do not forget that eating three hours before bedtime is far from the best idea for such an illness. Doctors advise half an hour before bedtime to drink a glass of kefir or eat a sweet fruit.
Prevention
The main preventive measures of insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach include proper nutrition. It is important to remember the main rules:
- Eat small meals, but regularly, at least 5 times a day.
- Drinking a glass of water on an empty stomach is recommended by doctors to reduce stomach acidity and eliminate toxins.
- Stop eating fried, spicy and smoked foods.
- Avoid overeating and late-night snacking.
- Reduce s alt intake.
- Avoid alcohol, carbonated drinks, and tea and coffee (due to their caffeine content).
- The diet should include more fresh vegetables and fruits rich in dietary fiber.
It is necessary to pay attention to lifestyle:
- Don't eat while lying on your back.
- Smoking is a common cause of the disease, so it is necessary to get rid of this habit.
- It is desirable to control your weight.
- Avoid stress, as they are also a provocateur of the described disease.
- "Movement is life" - this applies to the prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, so you need to move more and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
We told what it is - insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach, how to deal with this disease, how to avoid it. The patient must monitor their he alth and listen to the signals of the body.
