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Chronic duodenitis
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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"Duodenitis" means inflammation of the surface layer of the wall of the duodenum. Many people have duodenitis that begins suddenly and lasts a short time. Doctors call this "acute gastritis." Other people have duodenitis that lasts for many months or years. Doctors call this "chronic duodenitis."
[ Why does duodenitis occur and what are its causes?
In fact, there are not so many reasons that cause duodenitis. If you know them, you can confidently assume that you will never get gastritis. The reasons are as follows:
- irregular meals (not on time, prolonged feeling of hunger);
- frequent consumption of fatty, fried, spicy, and fast food;
- smoking more than 15-20 cigarettes a day (especially strong cigarettes);
- consumption of strong alcohol (especially in large doses);
- taking medication without a doctor's prescription (antipyretics, painkillers, and others);
- but most often duodenitis is caused by chronic stress or severe emotional shock.
Where does it hurt?
What do need to examine?
What tests are needed?
Who to contact?
What foods should NOT be consumed if you have duodenitis?
The food itself – it should be easier to digest both in its quality and in the way it is prepared. You should not eat foods that increase and provoke inflammation in the duodenum. You should exclude eating or consuming large amounts of animal fats, spicy foods, and carbonated drinks. You should also exclude cooking methods such as fried, smoked, and pickled foods.
What foods are GOOD to eat for duodenitis?
Unfortunately, it is IMPOSSIBLE to CURE inflammation of the duodenum with food, you can only avoid harm. Therefore, it is important to exclude a number of products for duodenitis. ALL other products can be eaten.
What should be the diet for duodenitis?
Unfortunately, duodenitis can disrupt the normal perception of hunger. Therefore, some people have a constant feeling of hunger and a strong appetite, while others, on the contrary, do not have a feeling of hunger at all. In such a situation, it is better to organize meals by the hour. You should not allow time intervals when you want to eat, but for some reason you cannot.
When the duodenum is swollen, inflamed, painful during duodenitis, it requires a reduction in load. Food should be taken in small portions 4-5 times a day, chewing food thoroughly.
Therefore, usually, when treating such diseases, several factors are really taken into account. Time - in no case should you starve, leave your stomach without food for a long time. Quantity - portions should definitely be smaller than with the usual diet.
How to treat duodenitis?
Treatment depends on the cause of duodenitis and the condition of the duodenum at the moment. It is very important in treatment to use effective modern drugs. This allows you to quickly restore the condition of the duodenum and prevent inflammation from becoming chronic. That is why it is not recommended to use folk remedies for treatment. The latest scientific data report the ineffectiveness of physiotherapy in the treatment of duodenitis. It is best to consult a doctor so that he can prescribe modern drugs.
Why is treatment ineffective and why does the disease become chronic?
Quite often, inflammation in the duodenum occurs due to the aggressive action of bile due to changes in the bile ducts. The contents of the stomach are acidic, bile has an alkaline reaction. As a result of the interaction of acid and bile, damage occurs and an exacerbation of duodenitis may occur. It can be difficult to determine the effect of bile; an examination is needed for this.
In such a situation, the use of traditional drugs to reduce inflammation in the duodenum or reduce the amount of acid is not effective. In the presence of bile reflux, it is necessary to take ursodeoxycholic acid drugs, such as Ursosan, to normalize the composition of bile and the functioning of the bile ducts, if there is an effect of bile on inflammation in the duodenum or there are diseases of the bile ducts.
After the inflammatory process in the duodenum has subsided, it is necessary to take medications that restore the normal contraction mode of the organ, for example, Itomed. With severe inflammation, even the stomach can contract in the opposite direction, throwing acidic contents into the esophagus, and Itomed helps in this situation.
One of the common causes of the inflammatory process in the duodenum, as well as its recurrence, is the effect of stress, chronic emotional tension, dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. In such a situation, treatment with folk remedies, physiotherapy will not be effective at all. Drug treatment of chronic duodenitis will have an effect, which will allow you to restore the mucous membrane of the duodenum at the current time. However, only Itomed can have the main effect on functional disorders, which will neutralize the emerging changes in the tone and motility of the duodenum.
More information of the treatment
Drugs
How to prevent duodenitis?
As you know, prevention is the most reliable guarantee of health. Any disease, including gastritis, is easier to prevent than to treat. Here is a simple set of rules, the observance of which will help maintain the health of the stomach for many years.
Good nutrition. The diet should contain sufficient amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, microelements and liquids. Frequent consumption or consumption of large amounts of animal fats, spicy foods (spices, seasonings, herbs, flavor enhancers), carbonated drinks (cola, beer, champagne, carbonated water, including mineral water) provokes the development of gastritis. You should also limit the methods of cooking, such as fried, smoked, pickled.
The diet should be regular. When you feel hungry, you need to eat. You should not allow time intervals when you want to eat, but for some reason you can’t. You should not lie down or exercise for 2 hours after eating.
Smoking and alcohol also provoke the development of inflammation in the stomach.
Caution when taking medications, as some medications have side effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Before taking medications, you should consult a doctor.
Attentive attitude to stress, anxiety, mood. Stress in the broad sense of the word quite quickly provokes the development of gastrointestinal tract lesions.
Seek timely medical attention in case of digestive disorders or the appearance of symptoms of chronic duodenitis.
Author: Sergey Sergeevich Vyalov, gastroenterologist-hepatologist, candidate of medical sciences.