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The stomach functions as a reservoir. It is a large, hollow organ and holds the food we eat. It secretes acid and some digestive enzymes which help begin the processes of digestion. It also acts as a churn to mix up food so that when the food is released through the valve at the end of the stomach ( called the pylorus), it is in a liquid or semi-liquid form ready to be digested and absorbed by the small intestine.

Stomach Disorders

Stomach Disorders

Gastritis

The term "gastro-" means stomach. When a word ends with "itis," it means "inflammation of." So the word gastritis means inflammation of the stomach. When we look into a patient's stomach that has gastritis, we see that it is very reddened and sometimes so inflamed that it can ooze a small amount of blood just by being touched. Gastritis is very common with the ingestion of substances which irritate the lining of the stomach. Examples of these are alcohol, medications containing aspirin and anti-arthritic medications. Some people have gastritis for unclear reasons.

Peptic Ulcer Disease, Gastric Ulcer, Stomach Ulcer

One might ask, "With the stomach making so much acid, why doesn't it just digest itself?" The body has a number of defense mechanisms which protect the stomach from the acid it produces. Any agents or conditions which decrease these normal defense mechanisms can predispose the development of an ulcer in the stomach. Symptoms of a gastric ulcer may be indigestion, burning upper abdominal pain or intolerance to certain foods. Some people complain of pain in the pit of their stomachs (the soft part of the stomach just below the breast bone) or slightly to the left. Classically, this pain is relieved by eating food but one or two hours later the pain returns. Others say eating makes the pain worse. If an ulcer is located near the valve at the end of the stomach (pylorus), it may interfere with the valve's function and prevent adequate emptying of the stomach contents into the small intestine. This may result in nausea and/or vomiting. Should the ulcer bleed, blood may be present in the material vomited or blood may pass in the stool (bowel movement). If a large amount of blood has been passed, it may be digested and the stool will appear black and sticky and have a bad odor.

If a person passes such a black stool, he should consult his physician immediately!

Gastric Cancer, Stomach Cancer

The growth of abnormal cells which are no longer under control of the body. Unfortunately, cancers of the stomach usually grow silently until they become rather large and are no longer curable by surgery. However, cancers can imitate stomach ulcers and that is why physicians who find stomach ulcers biopsy them to be sure that they are not malignant (cancer). The symptoms of gastric cancer are very similar to those of gastric ulcers and include pain in the pit of the stomach, nausea, sometimes vomiting (with or without the presence of blood), and "early satiety," which is a full sensation felt after eating only a small amount of food.

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Detecting Stomach Disorders

Sometimes, an endoscopic ultrasound may be requested by your Borland-Groover Clinic physician if an abnormality is found during endoscopy.

Your physician may wish to investigate problems of your stomach by either imaging it with an upper digestive tract X-Ray known as an UGI or by endoscopy with a procedure known as an EGD.

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