If you complain of abdominal pain, you usually think of gastritis, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea. What are the methods and medications to relieve the stomach pain?
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◇ Gastritis
Gastritis refers to inflammation of the stomach wall caused by irritation or infection. Most often, it occurs due to a familial tendency. The main causes are excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and aspirin use.
According to Seoul National University Hospital, more than half of the population over the age of 50 worldwide suffer from it. Acute gastritis occurs when the lining of the stomach is damaged by excessive alcohol consumption, taking aspirin, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. Chronic gastritis can be caused by prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs if there is Crohn’s disease, which causes inflammation in the digestive tract.
The way to relieve the symptoms is to take an antacid that neutralizes the acid in the stomach. Antacids are gastrointestinal drugs used for acute symptoms such as heartburn and stomach pain caused by stomach acid. Antacids are divided into single and combined drugs. Single agents are divided into aluminum, magnesium, and aluminum + magnesium. For each medication, there are Amphogel, Magmil, and Almagel in that order. Combination drugs include antacids + degassing agents, antacids + mucosal protective agents, antacids + gastric acid secretion inhibitors, antacids + digestive enzymes + antispasmodics. In this order, there are Gel Force M, Gaviscondable Action, Xantractin, Norumoef, and Kabejinkowa.
The number of doses varies depending on the product and symptoms. In general, if an antacid is needed, take it 3 to 4 times a day between meals or before going to bed. A cautionary note is that long-term use of aluminum preparations may cause a decrease in blood phosphate content and a disorder in which minerals are not deposited in the bones. In addition, when magnesium preparations and calcium preparations are taken together with large amounts of milk or general calcium preparations, milk alkali syndrome (hypercalcemia, azotemia, alkalosis, etc.) may appear.
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◇ Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis generally refers to inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines caused by infection. Acute infectious gastroenteritis is a very common disease that occurs at any age, and the main cause is infection caused by viruses or bacteria. It is mainly caused by rotavirus or astrovirus in children and Norwalk virus in adolescents and adults.
According to Seoul National University Hospital, most of the causes of bacterial gastroenteritis are Salmonella and E. coli. It is a disease that usually begins with vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, and is not fatal in adults, but in young children it can be fatal because of the risk of dehydration.
The way to relieve its symptoms is to take antidiarrheal drugs. However, taking antidiarrheal drugs without a prescription for quick relief of symptoms should be avoided as much as possible, as it can delay inflammation by allowing infectious bacteria to stay in the gastrointestinal tract for a long time. The best thing to do is to drink plenty of fluids.
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◇ Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a phenomenon in which the stool is looser than normal or the frequency of defecation increases. Diarrhea itself is not a disease, but it can refer to an invisible disease. Sometimes diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal pain, bloating, loss of appetite, and nausea. Normally, the intestine regulates the absorption of water, electrolytes, and nutrients through the ability to absorb and secrete water.
However, if an infectious agent or a toxin substance is present in the intestine, the secretion of water in the intestine is increased to expel harmful factors out of the body or the movement of the intestine is promoted. This will result in diarrhea as a protective response to intestinal damage. The main cause of diarrhea is bacteria, viruses, and parasites through contaminated food or water. Also, various medications can cause diarrhea. These include antibiotics, cardiac arrhythmias, blood pressure drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, some antidepressants, and anticancer drugs.
In order to alleviate its symptoms, it is necessary to control adequate hydration. If symptoms are severe, antidiarrheal medications may be taken. Types of antidiarrheal agents include intestinal motility inhibitors, antiseptics, astringents, adsorbents, and bowel preparations.
In order, the representative products are lopmine capsules (loperamide), ridamine capsules (ridamidine) / esefuryl capsules (nifuroxazide), Rohwan Jeong (Creosote), and lopmine plus capsules (acrrinol, berberine) / There are Helibang Tablet (Bismuth) and Freeberine Q X Tablet (Bismuth) / Furaverine Q Syrup (Kaolin), Smecta Suspension (Dioctahedral Smectite) / Rhamnose Capsule (Rhamnose Capsule).
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