lean and thin

I have been suffering from chronic inflammation of the stomach (atropic gastritis) as well as an infection of the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. The problems must have resulted in my weak constitution. I am just five feet tall and weigh a measly 42 kgs. Please guide me regarding diet and medicines so I can gain weight.

The H. pylori infection and atrophic gastritis do not lead to growth retardation. There is no relation between the two. I don?t think any diet regime will help you. It can only provide you a false sense of well-being. You should be liberal and take a balanced diet rightaway. If your gastroscopy (examination of the interior of the stomach) reveals an ulcer, you will need a treatment for the H. pylori infection. If there is no sign of an ulcer, trying to get rid of the bug will be a wild chase.

gas problem

I am a 78-year-old man. Three years ago, an endoscopy of my food pipe revealed two small erosions in my gastric antrum (lower part of stomach). Following a doctor?s advice, I took a cocktail of drugs (Famocid, Lansprazole, Rabeprazole and Pantoprazole) for a month. But I still have a burning sensation in the food pipe, and also suffer from flatulence. However, there?s no pain. Please advise.

First of all, keep it in mind that if any one of the mentioned drugs fails to help, a cocktail won?t be of any special use. It?s because all these drugs are equally potent. Such combinations of drugs are often prescribed, but I think the approach isn?t a scientific one. Moreover, persistence of the symptoms does not imply you still have a gastric mucosal (disorder of the upper layer inside the stomach) disease that needs treatment. We often come across cases in which there are symptoms of a gastric disease although endoscopy demonstrates little abnormality. This is called non-ulcer dyspepsia (an impairment of the digestive power in the absence of any ulcer) and is largely influenced by an obsession to relate any problem to ubiquitous gas or flatulence. Right now, simply relax and stay away from medicines. If symptoms persist, you need to undergo another endoscopy.

ulcerative colitis

I am a 30-year-old man. I have been suffering from ulcerative colitis for the last seven years. I am taking medicines prescribed by a doctor. Can this disease lead to cancer? Please suggest a remedy.

Ulcerative colitis causes ulcers in the colon (the lower part of the large intestine). It?s a long-drawn disease, which often relapses, and there?s no readily available cure for it. But it?s possible to keep a majority of the patients free from the troubling symptoms of bloody diarrhoea through certain drugs. You should continue taking the drugs regularly under the guidance of your doctor. The worst thing to do under these circumstances is to stop drugs out of dejection and in the false belief that absence of symptoms means cure. Ulcerative colitis can remain in remission for a variable period of time, and then flare up later. Yes, this disease can turn malignant after a long period. But malignancies appear in rare cases.

chronic piles

I (37) have been suffering from piles for a long time. I bleed while passing stool. I have undergone banding (putting clips around the dilated venous channels, to obliterate them) but it didn?t relieve my suffering. Please help.

Because you have been suffering from piles for long and bleed while passing stool, you need medical intervention. Failure of banding suggests that your problem has reached a critical stage. It seems the most suitable treatment is surgery. Consult a surgeon.

low acidity

I (30) have low acidity. Can it cause gastric problems the way high acidity does?

Your apprehension is unfounded. Low acidity does not cause any harmful effect, although this notion often propagates myths. Please don?t take external acid supplements to enhance the stomach?s acid production.