Chronic duodenitis facts

What is duodenitis?

There are a lot of people who are not aware of what duodenitis actually is. These people need to know that duodenitis is an inflammation which occurs in the duodenum. Duodenum is the beginning of the small intestine. When duodenitis occurs, people will usually experience abdominal pain, bleeding and various other gastrointestinal symptoms. In most cases of this inflammation, the cause is a stomach infection.

This infection is somehow connected with a certain type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori or simply H pylori. It is not uncommon for young people not to notice any symptoms of this inflammation until they have become of adult age. It is important that the H pylori are treated in time, because it can lead to an ulcer in the duodenum if it is left untreated. Duodenitis can also occur due to some other factors like prolonged use of certain medications, alcohol or tobacco.

In rare cases, duodenitis can also be caused by Crohn’s disease as well. The signs and symptoms are not the same in every person. However, the symptoms will not go away until the infection is not treated. Some people do not even experience the symptoms at all. Other people experience such symptoms like vomiting and nausea, in most cases. People need to know that this infection can be treated with antibiotics. A person can prevent this from happening by simply washing the hands regularly and making some lifestyle changes.

Symptoms

There are various symptoms of this infection and not all people will experience the same. Some of the most common are abdominal pain and bloating, gas, loss of appetite and nausea. Apart from these, there are also some life-threatening symptoms like bloody stool, severe abdominal pain and vomiting blood. In this case, a person should seek medical help as soon as possible.

Treatment

The first step a person should take is to seek medical help. A number of tests will be done in order for the diagnosis to be made. In case a person suffers from duodenitis which is caused by H pylori infection, the best treatment plan is in most cases the consumption of certain antibiotics. Amoxicillin, metronidazole and clarithomycin are some of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. Apart from these, a person can also be prescribed with proton pump inhibitors and histamine H2-receptor antagonists. People who experience vomiting and diarrhea are bound to lose a lot of fluid and electrolyte and it is important that the treatment plan involves the replenishment of them.