Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective on Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Diagnosis and Treatment

Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Symptoms

Gastric Intestinal metaplasia is regarded as a precancerous lesion for gastric cancer. Due to the lack of obvious early symptoms, it is often overlooked, making early detection and management crucial. Most patients discover their condition incidentally during gastroscopy. If symptoms do arise, they are usually related to chronic gastritis or acid reflux. Commonly overlooked symptoms include:

• Bloating and Upper Abdominal Distension: Patients often attribute this to stress or improper diet, ignoring it as a potential early signal of mucosal changes.

• Loss of Appetite and Early Satiety: These symptoms can be misinterpreted as general indigestion or gastritis, leading to a lack of timely attention.

• Recurrent Indigestion and Persistent Nausea: Symptoms are vague and nonspecific, often treated as mild gastric issues, overlooking potential mucosal abnormalities.

• Mild Abdominal Pain or Discomfort: Often intermittent and non-severe, patients may disregard it or self-medicate with painkillers, missing the chance for diagnosis.

• Unexplained Weight Loss, Anemia, and Black Stool: These more severe symptoms may indicate advanced disease, often ignored in the early stages.

  
  

Early symptoms of gastrointestinal metaplasia are generally mild and easily overlooked, particularly bloating, reduced appetite, and slight gastric discomfort. These are often mistaken for ordinary indigestion or stress. Individuals with a history of chronic gastritis, helicobacter pylori infection, or a family history of gastrointestinal diseases should undergo regular gastroscopy.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) emphasizes syndrome differentiation and treatment, alongside dietary and lifestyle adjustments, which can help improve or even reverse the progression of intestinal metaplasia.

TCM Perspective on Gastrointestinal Metaplasia Diagnosis and Treatment

TCM views gastrointestinal metaplasia as closely related to stomach dysfunction. Causes are often linked to external pathogenic factors, irregular diet, emotional disturbances, and digestive dysfunction.

TCM practitioners will determine treatment direction based on the patient's condition, including methods to "resolve dampness," "soothe the emotions and regulate qi," "clear heat and detoxify," and "invigorate blood and resolve stasis." Herbal remedies like  white atractylodes, astragalus root, Chinese Goldthread, and mongolian dandelion are effective in enhancing gastrointestinal function, suppressing inflammation, and preventing carcinogenesis. Acupuncture at points such as Neiguan, Zhongwan, and Zusanli can assist in management.

Dietary Recommendations

• Stomach-Enhancing Foods: Yam, lotus seeds, coix seed.

• Heat-Clearing and Damp-Resolving: Mung bean water, winter melon soup (suitable for damp-heat constitutions).

• Warming and Cold-Expelling: Ginger tea, brown sugar water (suitable for cold constitutions).

• Digestive Aid: Hawthorn slices, dried tangerine peel, perilla, and poria tea.

  
  

(The above dietary recommendations are for reference only; please consult a registered TCM practitioner before use.)

Daily Dietary Adjustments:

• Avoid raw, cold, spicy, fried, and undercooked foods.

• Eat in regular hours and in moderation to prevent overeating.

• Reduce caffeine, alcohol intake, and smoking.

  
  

Lifestyle Recommendations:

• Adjust routines and reduce stress.

• Try to relax and avoid mood swings.