Gastroenteritis and Peptic Ulcers: Gastroenteritis:

Gastroenteritis and Peptic Ulcers: Gastroenteritis: The inflammation of the stomach and small and large intestines is referred to as gastroenteritis. There is also viral gastroenteritis, which is an infection caused by a number of viruses that result in diarrhea and vomiting. Viral gastroenteritis is usually called the "stomach flu," though it's not caused by influenza viruses. Most of the people who contact this disease always recover from the illness without any long-term problems (Estes and Atmar par, 2).

However, this illness is serious for people who don't drink enough fluids to replace what they lose through diarrhea or vomiting. Immune compromised persons, infants, the elderly, the disabled and young children are at a risk of dehydration from loss of fluids. Viral gastroenteritis can be contacted by anyone regardless of their age group and background. Viral gastroenteritis can be attributed to various causes which include noroviruses, rotaviruses, adenoviruses, astroviruses and sapoviruses.

This disease is not as a result of bacteria, parasites, medications or any other medical conditions, though its symptoms may be comparable. Each of the viruses that cause viral gastroenteritis has its own seasonal activity. In the United States, rotavirus and astrovirus infections occur during the cool months while adenoviruses occur throughout the year. As for norovirus, infections, outbreaks can crop up in households and institutional settings such as schools. These norovirus infections occur throughout the year but tend to rise during cooler months.

Viral gastroenteritis is transmittable because the viruses which cause the disease are spread through close contact with infected persons. Unhygienic foods and drinks can also be a major cause of the disease to individuals who eat and drink the contaminated foods or beverages. Viral gastroenteritis viruses damage the cells in the lining of the small intestine. Due to this damage, fluids seep out from the cells into the intestine producing watery diarrhea.

Rotavirus, which is the major cause the illness among young children, causes vomiting, watery diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain for up to 8 days. This illness is diagnosed through physical examination and evaluation of the symptoms. Most cases of this disease usually resolve over time without specific treatment. Peptic Ulcers: A peptic ulcer, which affects up to 10% of the population, is generally caused by a bacterial infection and not by excess acidity or stress. Barry J. Marshall and J.

Robin Warren are credited for the discovery of "Helicobacter pylori" and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. They discovered that gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) and peptic ulcer disease (ulceration of the stomach or duodenum) is due to an infection in the stomach caused by Helicobacter pylori. Robin Warren, a pathologist from Perth Hospital in Australia, found out small curved bacteria colonizing the lower part of the stomach from biopsies in about 50% of the examined patients (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine par, 3).

Signs of inflammation were always present in the gastric mucosa near the bacteria. A young clinical fellow, Barry Marshall, was interested in Warren's discovery and together they conducted a study of biopsies from 100 patients. Marshall later succeeded in developing an unknown bacterial species from several of these biopsies. Marshall and Warren discovered that the organism was there in almost every patient with gastric ulcer and inflammation. Based on the results of their findings, they suggested that Helicobacter pylori are involved in the aetiology of these diseases.

In fact, Helicobacter pylori cause over 90% of duodenal ulcers and about 80% of gastric ulcers. After this discovery, research has been deep. This bacterium can be diagnosed by identification of the organism in biopsies, by antibody tests or by non-invasive breath test which recognizes bacterial production of an enzyme in the stomach. The use of antibiotics to eliminate Helicobacter pylori may lead to severe problems since bacteria and chronic inflammation of the stomach remains.

Marshall, Warren and other researchers showed that patients could be cured from peptic ulcer by eradication of the bacteria from the stomach. Due to Marshall and Warren's discovery, peptic ulcer is no longer a chronic disabling disease but can be cured by a short regimen of antibiotics and acid secretion inhibitors. Stomach Ulcer Bacteria Survival in the Stomach: Helicobacter pylori are the cause of many stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. More than half the population carries Helicobacter pylori without realizing it.

Despite the strong reaction of the body, the bacterium usually activates the body's immune defenses leading to unending inflammation in the mucous membrane. When this bacterium infects the body, white blood cells try to amplify their manufacture of bactericidal substances known as free radicals (Claessen par, 4). The bacterium in return produces antioxidants which restrain the body's ability to produce radicals. Helicobacter pylori survive stomach acidity.