The 5 Differences Between Gastritis And Gastroenteritis
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines this concept as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage. From a medical point of view, it corresponds to a series of neurophysiological variations in our body and increased activity in the adrenal glands, pituitary gland, pancreas and other structures.
For its part, Stomach pain (or rather, abdominal pain) is a sensation that we have all experienced at some point in our lives , since the digestive system is open and, therefore, is relatively exposed to mechanical stressors (such as swallowing an object), poisoning and invasion by pathogens (amebas, helminths, viruses, bacteria, etc.). Therefore, it is estimated that abdominal pain accounts for almost 6% of all emergency room visits.
Curiously, more than 30% of cases of abdominal or stomach pain are classified as “non-specific” (NSAP), or in other words, they do not have a specific cause. On the other hand, others are due to renal colic, gastritis, gastroenteritis, ulcers, somatizations of psychological disorders, cancers and many other things.
Based on all these premises, today we help you get to know your body and sensations a little better: here you go the differences between gastritis and gastroenteritis
What are the main differences between gastroenteritis and gastritis?
In general, both terms are often used interchangeably. When a person consumes spoiled food and develops acute diarrhea, fever and tremors, he will tell the doctor that he suspects he has gastritis or gastroenteritis, although in reality both entities are different. Below, we break down their differences.
1. Gastritis occurs in the stomach, but gastroenteritis spreads to the intestine
It may sound very obvious, but the main differential character between both conditions is found in their name. As the term indicates, Gastritis refers to acute or chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa There is no doubt, therefore, that this clinical entity is limited to the environment of the stomach.
On the other hand, Gastroenteritis refers to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract , which includes the stomach (gastro) and small intestine (entire). Although this distinction may seem very subtle, in the following lines you will see that the symptoms vary significantly from one condition to another.
2. The infectious agents that cause gastritis and gastroenteritis are very different
The stomach has a pH of 1.0 to 3.0, while in the small intestine, this value increases to a range of 5.0 to 7.0. In an environment as acidic as the gastric cavity, compatibility with life is practically impossible. Only a pathogenic bacteria can withstand these harsh conditions: Helicobacter pylori
It is estimated that ⅔ of the population are infected by this bacteria, which with its spiral shape and flagellum, is capable of drilling into the gastric mucosa and slowly but constantly damaging the stomach epithelium. For this reason, this microorganism has been associated with various pathologies at the gastric level.
70% of infections H. pylori are asymptomatic, but the remaining 30% of affected individuals develop symptoms of gastritis , which in turn can be accompanied by peptic ulcers and even stomach cancer. Without going any further, it is estimated that people with this bacteria in their stomach are twice as likely to develop an ulcer throughout their lives, compared to those who do not have it.
On the other hand, the intestine is a much “kinder” environment, and the living proof of this is the multitude of bacterial species that are part of our intestinal microbiota. Bacteria of the Campylobacter genus and viruses such as norovirus and rotavirus are capable of invading this sector of the digestive tract and causing signs.
3. The symptoms of both entities are very different
The most common symptom of gastritis is pain or burning (indigestion) in the upper abdomen , specifically in an area known as the “epigastrium.” Because the pain is limited to the stomach environment, other common symptoms may be nausea, vomiting, feeling full before finishing eating, weight loss, and other clinical events.
On the other hand, the standard symptom of gastroenteritis is diarrhea. Under normal conditions, the absorption of nutrients and liquids in the intestine (99% of the water that enters) is much greater than the secretion, which is why the stools usually appear compact, hard and relatively dry.
To give you an idea, 9 liters of water enter the intestine every day, but only 100 milliliters are expelled with feces. Unfortunately, When pathogens damage the intestinal mucosa, this balance is lost
If changes occur in the bidirectional tissue-intestinal lumen balance (if there is a higher rate of absorption or secretion), the volume of liquid that reaches the colon exceeds its absorptive capacity and the diarrhea, known to all, occurs. This can present with blood, mucus and even purulent substances, depending on the underlying disease that is causing the condition.
4. Different epidemiological patterns
Depending on where we focus our attention, it can be stipulated that gastritis is more common than gastroenteritis or vice versa. It is estimated that 25% of the world’s population presents symptoms of gastritis at any given time and 90% of the symptoms are caused by infection of Helicobacter pylori We remember that this bacteria is installed in the stomach of ⅔ of the population (much more if we look at certain regions), which is why gastritis is so common.
In any case, the symptoms of gastroenteritis are not short. Diarrheal diseases at the intestinal level (caused by bacteria, amoebas and viruses) are the second cause of death in children under 5 years of age, especially in low-income countries where health infrastructure is conspicuous by its absence. Every year, 1.7 billion cases of diarrheal diseases are diagnosed in infants, of which 525,000 end in death.
In general, Gastritis is conceived as a less serious clinical entity, since its impact is more notable in high-income countries If untreated, gastritis can lead to bleeding and stomach ulcers, but the onset of these consequences is slow and they are not usually reached. Furthermore, in the most serious spectrum (peptic ulcer), there are also surgical treatments and antibiotics that successfully reverse the situation.
Again, Gastroenteritis caused by viral agents or amoebas has a much worse prognosis , more because of the places where they are more prevalent than because of their pathogenesis per se. For example, persistent diarrhea (lasting more than 14 days) without proper medical attention can turn into severe dehydration.
This extreme situation occurs in the patient with sunken eyes, lethargy and loss of consciousness, dizziness and lightheadedness, constipation, dry skin and other general signs. Severe dehydration that causes a loss of 10% of the patient’s body weight usually results in death, unless there is admission and administration of intravenous fluid, which also seeks to restore the electrolyte balance that has been lost during diarrhea.
Summary
After this extensive tour of both clinical entities, it is more than clear to us that gastritis and gastroenteritis are not the same nor can they be used as interchangeable terms.
Gastritis usually manifests itself with abdominal discomfort in the mouth of the stomach (epigastrium), while gastroenteritis is located “lower down” (at the intestinal level), with clear symptoms such as watery diarrhea and low-grade fever (if the infection is viral). ).
The main cause of gastritis is bacteria Helicobacter pylori, the only microorganism that has adapted to live in our gastric environment. On the other hand, gastroenteritis is usually caused by amoebas, viruses, bacteria and even more complex parasites, such as various helminths (ascaris and tapeworms, for example). Furthermore, although gastritis is more common in general, gastroenteritis has a worse prognosis, because it is typical of low-income regions with poor sanitary conditions.
