Recently, hawthorn and chestnut have been on the market in supermarkets, and as seasonal delicacies, many people will buy and eat them. However, a recent message that "doctors remind people not to mix hawthorn and chestnut" has been trending. Originally, a netizen was diagnosed with gastritis and stomach stones due to eating hawthorn and chestnut together. So, does eating hawthorn and chestnut together really cause stomach stones? Can everyone rest assured to eat hawthorn and chestnut? What harm can stomach stones cause to the human body? Abdominal discomfort may lead to stomach ulcers, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and other stomach stones, also known as stomach stones and gastrolithiasis, which are lumpy substances formed by the retention of indigestible substances in the stomach. These substances can neither be digested nor pass through the pylorus smoothly. They stay longer in the stomach and gradually form stones under the action of gastric acid. Patients with gastric stones may experience abdominal discomfort, which can affect normal eating and may also cause damage to the gastric mucosa due to stone friction, leading to gastric ulcers. A few may even cause upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to ulcers, and in rare cases, stone incarceration may lead to small intestinal obstruction, intestinal wall necrosis, and perforation. So, if there are stomach stones, it is important to treat them as soon as possible. According to the composition of gastric stones, they can be roughly divided into four categories: plant-based stones, hair-based stones, drug-based stones, and mixed stones. 1. Plant stomach stones: This is the most common type of stomach stones, mainly composed of various undigested plant components, including tannic acid, cellulose, pectin, gum, etc. Among them, persimmon stone (including persimmon cakes) and hawthorn stone are the most common plant stones. 2. Hairy stones: Composed of hair and can also be mixed with wool and animal hair, commonly seen in people with a habit of swallowing hair. 3. Medicinal gastrolith: It is formed by long-term taking inorganic chemicals containing calcium, bismuth or antacids (such as aluminum hydroxide gel, calcium phosphate). These drugs can precipitate in the stomach or form small clumps with food residues under the action of gastric acid to form stomach stones. 4. Mixed stomach stones: stomach stones formed by mixing multiple components. What situations and populations are prone to stomach stones? The elderly, diabetes patients and people with peptic ulcer need two basic conditions to form gastric stones: indigestible substances and increased contact with the stomach in the stomach. As long as people are prone to these situations, they are prone to developing stomach stones. According to the current epidemiological investigation and analysis of patients with gastrolithiasis, gastrolithiasis is likely to occur in the elderly, diabetes patients, and people with peptic ulcer and other gastric diseases in the past. 1. People with poor gastric function: The formation of adult gastric stones is related to complex changes in the gastric environment. Peptic ulcers, chronic gastritis, Crohn's disease, tumors, and dehydration of the gastrointestinal tract are all high-risk factors for gastric stones. 2. diabetes patients: diabetes patients usually have a slow gastric emptying, and are relatively easy to form stomach stones. 3. Elderly people: It is particularly emphasized that elderly people have decreased gastrointestinal function, more basic diseases such as cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, endocrine, and nervous systems, and more often undergo abdominal surgery than young people, making them more likely to form stomach stones. 4. Children, accidental ingestion of foreign objects, pica, intellectual impairment, mental illness, and celiac disease may also cause stomach stones. Overall, people with poor gastric function (such as after gastric surgery, gastritis, gastric ulcers)