Heartburn generally refers to the position of the lower part of the sternum, that is, the position of the "heart pit" that we often say, just like fire, it is a burning sensation. This is mainly because the food in the stomach "ran" into the esophagus. Gastric acid is secreted in the stomach, so everything in the stomach is acidic, while the esophagus is alkaline. When the acid substance "runs" into the feeding passage, it will corrode the esophageal mucosa, just like a fire burning in the heart. This is what we call heartburn.
Zhao, deputy director of the Department of Abdominal Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Academy of Medical Sciences, believes that heartburn usually has two reasons:
First, when you eat too much and can't hold so many things in your stomach, it will cause food to flow back to your esophagus, leading to heartburn;
Second, often eating sweets or spicy and other irritating foods makes gastric acid secrete too much.
In addition to corroding the stomach, if things in the stomach flow back into the esophagus and you feel heartburn and acid reflux, it means that your esophagus will also be corroded by gastric acid, so people with heartburn and acid reflux symptoms for a long time are not only prone to stomach problems, but also some inflammation in the esophagus.
Some middle-aged and elderly people aged 40-60 have chest pain symptoms similar to angina pectoris at night or in the early morning, and the pain is located in the chest area. It may also be that food regurgitates to the esophagus and stimulates the mucosa. Therefore, if patients with angina pectoris have no heart problems, they should consider going to the gastroenterology department for examination. Maybe there's something wrong with the stomach.
Upper abdominal discomfort is also the most common first symptom of gastric cancer, which is mainly manifested as fullness or burning sensation after eating, repeated attacks, short duration of attacks, and not very serious symptoms, which are easily mistaken for indigestion or gastritis, leading to neglect.
If you have repeated indigestion symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, acid regurgitation and belching, you should also go to the hospital in time to check whether it is gastric cancer. 57.5% of patients with gastric cancer suffered from loss of appetite in the early stage, and 57.2% suffered from nausea and vomiting. 74.7% of patients with gastric cancer had epigastric pain in the early stage.
It was mild at first, and then it got worse. This kind of pain is sometimes dull, and sometimes it is intermittent dull. Some patients have rhythmic pain (this kind of gastric antrum cancer is more obvious), which will be relieved after eating or taking medicine; Some elderly people have a dull pain in their nerves, but they don't feel stomachache, thinking it's just abdominal distension. This situation also needs to be careful.
Early epigastric pain in gastric cancer is often diagnosed as gastritis or gastric ulcer, and patients need special attention.
Professor Li Feng, a national expert in Jinan Gastroenterology Hospital and a famous medical doctor in Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, pointed out that 65438+ has a burning or dull pain in the upper abdomen 0-3 hours after meals, which will gradually ease in the future. This is the most typical symptom of gastric ulcer, so you should go to the hospital in time. Professor Li Feng emphasized that in the "ulcer family", gastric ulcer is the closest to cancer, and the malignant transformation rate is about 2% to 5%.
Zhao, Deputy Director of Abdominal Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Academy of Medical Sciences, pointed out: "There is a more subtle symptom of gastric cancer, and we don't even associate it with stomach disease at all. This is anemia. " People with gastric cancer, tumors destroy blood vessels and lead to gastric bleeding, and some people will have symptoms of hematemesis, which is the main cause of anemia.
How can I judge whether I am anemic? ? Zhao gave the following methods:
Second, look at the fundus. Anemic people have pale fundus and can't see any red capillaries.
The third is to look at the nails. Normal people's nails are pink, and people with anemia will turn white, which is the white after we press them.
Finally, anemia often coexists with melena when judging the symptoms of gastric cancer.
Black stool is tar-like, and we also call it cypress oil stool. This is because the cells in the normal stomach complete the process of shedding and regeneration within 2-4 days, and so do cancer cells. These exfoliated cells will be excreted by us, but there are blood vessels in cancer cells, so patients with gastric cancer often have melena.
Special reminder: if the symptoms of long-term dyspepsia are not treated in time, they will be aggravated into general weakness, emaciation, anemia, malnutrition and other symptoms. However, this is the most difficult situation to check whether you have stomach cancer, because many other reasons can also cause anemia (such as stress, picky eaters, anorexia, improper weight loss, etc. ), so prevention is the key to prevent gastric cancer. Once you lose weight for no reason, you should go to the hospital for examination in time. This is not unnecessary, but very wise.
When eating pork liver, sweet potato, red pitaya, blood tofu or iron supplementation, it is very normal to have black or dark stools. However, if these conditions are ruled out and there is black stool, or even bloody stool is directly discharged, it is necessary to consider whether it is possible for gastric cancer. Patients with gastric cancer often have symptoms of a small amount of bleeding in the stomach. If you don't pay attention to it, it will aggravate your condition.
How is gastric cancer prevented?
1, eat less or no pickled food, and reduce the intake of nitrosamine precursors. Refrigeration is the best way to preserve food.
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Appropriately increase beans and milk, as well as fresh fish and eggs, and advocate eating garlic and green tea.
3, eat less smoked, fried, fried fish, meat, braised or steamed as well.
4, low-salt diet, reduce salt intake.
5. Change bad eating habits, eat on time, avoid overeating, avoid eating hard food, and eat too fast and too hot.
6. Don't drink or smoke.
7. Cheerful and optimistic.
8. Patients with chronic stomach diseases should be treated in time, and gastroscopy or X-ray gastrointestinal radiography should be done regularly. To investigate and treat gastric cancer and precancerous lesions in high-risk areas and high-risk populations.
Prevention should also pay attention to the mode of transmission. Cancer cannot spread directly, but the bacteria that cause cancer can spread directly. Helicobacter pylori has been identified as the first carcinogen of gastric cancer. Medical research shows that the infection of Helicobacter pylori has obvious aggregation phenomenon. If one person in the family carries this bacterium, almost everyone in the family will be infected. It is highly contagious and often exists in the tartar and saliva of carriers. As long as you eat the same dish as this person, you may be infected.
For the health of you and your family, we must prevent Helicobacter pylori infection, start with a pair of chopsticks, change the correct diet and reduce the risk of gastric cancer.