Heartburn, Nausea, Palpitations | Incheon Chronic Gastritis

Incheon Chronic Gastritis: An Unsettled Stomach, How Long Must I Rely Solely on Medication?

Heartburn that inevitably appears whenever I'm a little stressed or eat irritating foods. Bloating and a feeling of pressure in the pit of my stomach that doesn't disappear, whether on an empty stomach or after meals.

“It’s only temporarily okay when I take medication. Now, the act of eating itself feels burdensome and causes anxiety.”

Chronic gastritis is like an endless tug-of-war, where the expectation of ‘it’ll get better’ and the resignation of ‘it’s hurting again’ repeat daily. This discomfort restricts my daily life and robs me of the joy of food. Should I truly attribute this solely to having a ‘sensitive constitution’?

Causes and Symptoms

The Stomach's 'Protective Layer' is Thinning

Our stomach is covered by a sticky and robust ‘mucous protective layer’ that shields the stomach lining from powerful stomach acid, much like a tempered glass screen protector on a smartphone.

But what if ‘sandpaper’ in the form of spicy and salty foods, alcohol, coffee, and stress gradually scrapes and wears down this protective layer every day?

The protective layer gradually thins, eventually leading to perforations. The fragile stomach lining, having lost its protective layer, is directly exposed to the attack of stomach acid, causing inflammation (heartburn), dulling its movement (bloating), and making it unable to properly digest food (pain). This is the beginning of chronic gastritis.

Traditional Korean Medicine Perspective

'Barren Land' and 'Unquenchable Ember'

In Traditional Korean Medicine, the stomach is likened to ‘healthy soil’ (土壤) that is the source of all life. Chronic gastritis is comparable to this soil being attacked over a long period, becoming ‘dry and barren’.

The soil’s moisture and nutrients (Jinyeok 津液, body fluids) become insufficient, and due to stress and poor diet, it even harbors an ‘unquenchable ember’ (Wi-yeol 胃熱, stomach heat).

In such barren land, no seed (food) can properly take root and grow. Therefore, Traditional Korean Medicine treatment is not simply about suppressing stomach acid to mask immediate symptoms.

It involves supplying nutrition and moisture to the ‘barren soil’ (Ja-eum-yang-wi 滋陰養胃, nourishing Yin and strengthening the stomach), cooling down the ‘unquenchable ember’ (Cheong-yeol 淸熱, clearing heat), and helping the stomach regain the strength to rebuild its robust protective layer itself. This is the treatment perspective of Traditional Korean Medicine, which aims to revive the fundamental essence of the soil.

Lifestyle Management

3 Habits to Rebuild the Stomach's Protective Layer

Daily efforts can help thicken the stomach's thinned protective layer.

• 습관 1: 자극 피하기 (Avoid Irritants)
  Spicy, salty, and sour foods that directly scrape the stomach lining, along with coffee, alcohol, and carbonated drinks that promote stomach acid secretion, are the top priority to avoid until the protective layer recovers.
• 습관 2: 규칙적인 식사 (Regular Meals)
  If fasting periods are long, highly concentrated stomach acid will directly irritate the stomach lining. Even if it's a small amount, eat regularly at set times to make your stomach comfortable.
• 습관 3: 마음의 평화 (Peace of Mind)
  Stress is the stomach's biggest enemy because it disrupts the autonomic nervous system that regulates stomach movement. Taking time to find peace of mind through light walks or meditation will soon bring peace to your stomach.

Prognosis and Golden Time

On the path from ‘chronic gastritis’ to ‘stomach cancer,’ there’s a tendency to dismiss chronic gastritis as “a disease every Korean has.” However, one must understand what lies at the end of this path.

The path of recurrent chronic inflammation can be a dangerous downhill slope that passes through ‘atrophic gastritis,’ where the stomach lining thins, and leads to ‘intestinal metaplasia,’ where stomach cells transform into intestinal cells. Intestinal metaplasia is known as a strong precursor to stomach cancer.

Will it remain a mere discomfort, or will it progress to irreversible changes? That crossroads depends on how seriously you take the signals your stomach is sending right now.