Gastric polyps, chronic atrophic gastritis, and gastric ulcers are stubborn old stomach diseases that are often accompanied by varying degrees of chronic inflammation. Often discovered by accident in the treatment of other stomach diseases, gastric polyps are actually protruding tissues on the surface of the gastric mucosa. Although most gastric polyps are benign, they can evolve into malignant tumors if left unnoticed for a long time.

山東的趙軍，現年46歲，他在一家知名企業辛勤工作了十年，如今終於晉陞為項目經理。然而隨著職位的提升，他的工作壓力也隨之增大，不僅頻繁地熬夜、應酬，還要時刻圍繞著項目轉。儘管這樣，他的業績卻出人意表地大幅下滑。

In 4 years and 0 months, Zhao Jun's long-term poor eating habits often made Zhao Jun feel his abdomen full, and repeated pantothenic acid belching. His wife saw it in her eyes and was anxious, so she secretly arranged a comprehensive physical examination for him. Soon after the results came out, the medical examination center called him and told him that the gastroscopy had found two small gastric polyps with a diameter of 0.0-0.0cm in his stomach. Although there were no signs of erosion or ulceration, the doctor advised him to go to a major hospital for a follow-up examination to determine if he needed to have it removed.

Zhao Jun, who was instinctively resistant to surgery, searched the Internet and learned that gastric polyps with a diameter of more than 0.0-0.0cm have a wide base and a risk of symptoms and malignant changes should be considered for surgical resection. Because of the small size of his polyps, he opted for conservative treatments: quit smoking and drinking, avoid irritating foods, and keep regular check-ups. This put him at ease for a while, and he planned to adjust his unhealthy eating habits in the future.

But things don't always go as smoothly as planned. Zhao Jun's work has entered a critical stage, and it is difficult to ensure even the most basic exercise and regular diet. In order to be more productive, he began to consume a lot of coffee.

By 10/0, Zhao Jun suddenly felt a tingling pain in his upper abdomen accompanied by an indescribable feeling of fullness. Oddly enough, the pain intensified when he massaged his abdomen. Subsequently, he lost his appetite, barely ate a small amount of food at each meal, and often felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. Due to his busy schedule, he didn't deal with these minor digestive problems in time until he found out that he was passing black feces for many days in a row.

Black stools may be caused by ingestion of foods with high iron content such as pig blood, duck blood, etc., or it may be caused by long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anticoagulant drugs. However, in Zhao Jun's case, these possible factors can be ruled out, and the only remaining possibility is gastrointestinal bleeding.

Only then did Zhao Jun realize the seriousness of the problem and hurriedly went to the hospital for treatment. Gastroscopy showed that the mucosa of his gastric body was swollen, red and white, and nearly six polyp-like bulges could be seen, the largest of which was about 0.0-0.0cm. Biopsy results show hyperplastic polyps, which are benign.

Combined with the clinical symptoms, the doctor diagnosed Zhao Jun with superficial gastritis and pointed out that there was erosion or ulceration on the surface of the gastric polyp, which is the cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. After learning that Zhao Jun had a habit of drinking a lot of coffee, the doctor warned him that although the caffeine in coffee can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, the irritating substances in it will also increase the irritation of the gastric mucosa and promote the secretion of gastric acid. Too much stomach acid can cause inflammation and hyperplasia of the gastric mucosa, resulting in the formation of polyps.

For patients with gastric polyps, gastritis, and gastric ulcers like Zhao Jun, they should try to avoid consuming stimulant drinks such as coffee. The treatment plan given by the doctor suggested surgery for the removal of stomach polyps, taking into account his multiple polyps and persistent inflammation.

After the operation, Zhao Jun felt that polyps were like a lurking "time bomb". Before he was discharged from the hospital, the doctor reminded him to pay attention to regular check-ups and adhere to a healthy diet. Keeping this lesson in mind, Zhao Jun switched to a light diet when he returned home, changed to a relatively light job position, quit smoking and drinking, and occasionally exercised by running.

A follow-up examination three months later showed that Zhao Jun's entire digestive tract was very healthy, with no signs of recurrence. As a result, he continued to maintain a good lifestyle, although he later did not go to the hospital again because of occasional abdominal pain.

2019年8月，趙軍突然又食欲不振，對熱騰騰的飯菜毫無胃口。原本以為是夏日炎熱所致，直到某天淩晨突然被劇烈的腹痛驚醒，感覺自己的胃裡像火燒一般。

He rolled over and tried to relieve the pain, but the pain grew so intense that it became unbearable. At the same time, his stomach was churning so uncomfortably that he finally couldn't help but vomit at the head of the bed. The wife woke up passively, saw her pale husband, and hurriedly called the emergency number.

Urgent CT examination found that Zhao Jun had a space-occupying lesion in his antrum, which was suspected of gastric cancer. This blow was like a thunderbolt from the sky, and Zhao Jun could hardly accept this result. He then underwent a gastroscopy, which shattered his last chance - the gastroscopy showed a punctate erosion of the mucosa at the bottom of the stomach with an ulcerative bulge lesion about 8.0cm x 0.0cm in size, with an irregular shape. Biopsy results show gastric squamous cell carcinoma and bleeds easily.

Zhao Jun and his wife were devastated by the bad news. In the face of the upcoming treatment, the doctor reassured them that no metastases have been found at present, and there is hope for active cooperation with the treatment.

However, Zhao Jun broke down emotionally, choked up and asked, "Why me?" Since last year's surgery, I have been nourishing my stomach, insisting on exercise, eating lightly, having a regular schedule and rest, staying away from tobacco and alcohol, and I have not had a polyp recurrence in the past year, and I even feel that I am in excellent physical condition. Why do I still get stomach cancer? ”

"Are you nourishing your stomach?" The doctor was alert that if what Zhao Jun said was true, then the possibility of him developing cancer in such a short period of time was almost zero, and there must be other reasons for it. After detailed questioning, the doctor found out what the problem was.

The doctor shook his head and sighed: "In recent years, many patients with stomach problems have liked to use some kind of medicine to 'nourish the stomach'. The malignant transformation of gastric polyps is not silent, although the kind of medicine you take daily can stabilize the gastrointestinal tract, in fact, it may be the culprit that accelerates the cancerous transformation of polyps! Patients who have a history of polyps should touch it less or not at all, otherwise, sooner or later it will become cancerous! ”

Zhao Jun experienced abdominal pain and bloating after the follow-up, but he did not choose to seek medical attention in time, but bought a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) online and used it for a long time. This drug is often used to treat chronic gastritis, stomach ulcers, and other diseases, but in recent years there has been a tendency to abuse it. Many people see it as a panacea for stomach pain, or even overuse it without an obvious indication for it.

PPI inhibits gastric acid secretion, raises gastric pH, and weakens the negative feedback effect on G cells, resulting in an increase in plasma gastrin concentration and hypergastrinemia. The persistence of this condition is thought to be an important mechanism by which PPIs increase the risk of gastric cancer, which can stimulate ECL cell proliferation, which in turn triggers the formation of gastric fundic gland polyps and even gastric neuroendocrine tumors.

Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors may also lead to exacerbation of gastric mucosal atrophy, particularly in the context of Helicobacter pylori infection, which may further induce intestinal metaplasia, one of the precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

Stomach acid plays a protective role in the stomach mucosa, and the right amount of stomach acid is able to kill bacteria that enter the stomach. The long-term application of proton pump inhibitors can alter the gastric environment, leading to a state of low gastric acidity, weakening this protective effect and making the stomach more susceptible to external bacteria, thereby accelerating the development of chronic inflammation and gastric polyps.

As the saying goes, "nine out of ten stomach problems nourish", but patients with stomach problems should not rely too much on drugs to "nourish the stomach". In daily life, we should pay attention to a light diet, avoid the intake of cold, spicy and greasy foods, and reduce the consumption of high-salt and pickled foods, which can protect stomach health to a large extent. Once uncomfortable symptoms appear, you should seek medical attention in time, listen to the advice of professional doctors, and avoid blind self-medication.

Disclaimer: The content of the article is for reference only, the storyline is purely fictional, intended to popularize health knowledge, if you feel unwell, please seek medical attention offline.