Endoscopy: diseases — симптомы, диагностика и лечение

Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa, one of the most common and at the same time the most vague diagnoses. It is important to understand: gastritis is a morphological diagnosis that is made based on the results of gastroscopy with biopsy, and not based on complaints of stomach pain. A significant proportion of people with pain in the upper abdomen do not have gastritis, but functional dyspepsia, where the mucous membrane is not changed. And vice versa: chronic gastritis often occurs without symptoms at all, and is discovered by chance. The key practical question for gastritis is whether there is Helicobacter pylori.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition in which stomach contents regularly back up into the esophagus. The esophageal mucosa is not adapted to acid, which is why heartburn, sour belching and chest pain occur. GERD is extremely common and is often perceived as a harmless inconvenience that can be “cured with baking soda.” Meanwhile, prolonged acid discharge can lead to changes in the esophageal mucosa - Barrett's esophagus, which is considered a precancerous condition. Therefore, heartburn more than twice a week is not a reason for soda, but for a visit to the doctor.

Colon polyp is a growth of mucous membrane into the intestinal lumen. By itself, it almost never hurts or interferes, and this is the main difficulty: polyps are found not because a person complains about something, but because he had a colonoscopy. Moreover, the vast majority of cases of colon cancer develop from adenomatous polyps, and this path takes years. Hence the simple logic: a polyp removed in time means cancer prevented. Colonoscopy remains the only test that both finds and immediately eliminates the problem.

Peptic ulcer is the formation of a deep defect in the wall of the stomach or duodenum. A few decades ago, it was considered a stress disease and was treated for years with diets. Today it is known that in the vast majority of cases there are only two reasons: Helicobacter pylori infection and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This changed everything: ulcers are no longer a lifelong chronic problem and, in most cases, can be cured with a course of therapy lasting two weeks.

Cirrhosis is the outcome of long-term liver damage, in which the working tissue is replaced by scar tissue, and the structure of the organ is irreversibly rebuilt. The liver has a huge reserve of strength and takes a long time to compensate for losses, so the disease goes on without symptoms for years, and the first obvious signs often appear already at the stage of complications. It is important to understand the difference: the scar itself does not disappear, but if you eliminate the cause - cure hepatitis C, stop drinking alcohol, lose weight in case of fatty disease - the progression stops, and the condition of the liver can significantly improve. Therefore, the diagnosis of “cirrhosis” is not a death sentence, but requires active action.

A hiatal hernia is a displacement of part of the stomach from the abdominal cavity into the thoracic cavity through an enlarged hole in the diaphragm. In itself, this condition often goes unnoticed and is detected during gastroscopy for heartburn. The clinical significance of hiatal hernia is that it disrupts the functioning of the natural valve between the esophagus and the stomach, and the contents of the stomach begin to be thrown back. Hence a characteristic detail that patients themselves notice: heartburn intensifies in a lying position, when bending over and after a heavy meal - that is, when gravity ceases to help keep the contents in the stomach.