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Gastritis

Description

Gastritis is a general term for a group of conditions with one thing in common: inflammation of the lining of the stomach. The inflammation of gastritis is most often the result of infection with the same bacterium that causes most stomach ulcers.

Gastritis may occur suddenly (acute gastritis), or appear slowly over time (chronic gastritis). In some cases, gastritis can lead to ulcers and an increased risk of stomach cancer. For most people, however, gastritis isn't serious and improves quickly with treatment.
Causes

Gastritis can be caused by irritation due to excessive alcohol use, chronic vomiting, stress, or the use of certain medications such as aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs. It may also be caused by any of the following:

  • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori): A bacteria that lives in the mucous lining of the stomach; without treatment, the infection can lead to ulcers, and in some people, stomach cancer.
  • Bile reflux: A backflow of bile into the stomach from the bile tract (that connects to the liver and gallbladder)
  • Infections caused by bacteria and viruses
If gastritis is left untreated, it can lead to a severe loss of blood and may increase the risk of developing stomach cancer.
Risk factors

Factors that increase your risk of gastritis include:

 

  • Bacterial infection: Although infection with Helicobacter pylori is among the most common worldwide human infections, only some people with the infection develop gastritis or other upper gastrointestinal disorders. Doctors believe vulnerability to the bacterium could be inherited or could be caused by lifestyle choices, such as smoking and diet.
  • Regular use of pain relievers: Common pain relievers — such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox) — can cause both acute gastritis and chronic gastritis. Using these pain relievers regularly or taking too much of these drugs may reduce a key substance that helps preserve the protective lining of your stomach.
  • Older age: Older adults have an increased risk of gastritis because the stomach lining tends to thin with age and because older adults are more likely to have H. pylori infection or autoimmune disorders than younger people are.
  • Excessive alcohol use: Alcohol can irritate and erode your stomach lining, which makes your stomach more vulnerable to digestive juices. Excessive alcohol use is more likely to cause acute gastritis.
  • Stress: Severe stress due to major surgery, injury, burns or severe infections can cause acute gastritis.
  • Your own body attacking cells in your stomach: Called autoimmune gastritis, this type of gastritis occurs when your body attacks the cells that make up your stomach lining. This reaction can wear away at your stomach's protective barrier. Autoimmune gastritis is more common in people with other autoimmune disorders, including Hashimoto's disease and type 1 diabetes. Autoimmune gastritis can also be associated with vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Other diseases and conditions: Gastritis may be associated with other medical conditions, including HIV/AIDS, Crohn's disease and parasitic infections.
Symptoms

There are a number of symptoms that characterize gastritis.

People with gastritis frequently experience abdominal pain. Pain is often located in the upper-center part of the abdomen, or in the upper-left portion of the stomach. Pain will often radiate to the back.

Other common symptoms include bloating and nausea. In cases of gastritis involving vomiting, the appearance of the vomit may be clear, yellow, or green. The vomit may also contain blood.

Vomiting blood is a symptom of more severe gastritis. Other symptoms of severe gastritis include shortness of breath, chest pain, severe stomach pain, and foul-smelling bowel movements.

Seek urgent medical evaluation if any of the following symptoms occur:

 

  • Vomiting blood
  • Bringing up excessive amounts of yellow or green vomit
  • Black or bloody bowel movements
  • Abdominal pain with fever
  • Dizziness and fainting
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Excessive sweating
  • Shortness of breath
Gastritis may occur without any symptoms at all.
Diagnosis

To diagnose gastritis, your doctor will review your personal and family medical history, perform a thorough physical evaluation, and may recommend any of the following tests:

 

Upper endoscopy: An endoscope, a thin tube containing a tiny camera, is inserted through your mouth and down into your stomach to look at the stomach lining. The doctor will check for inflammation and may perform a biopsy, a procedure in which a tiny sample of tissue is removed and then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Blood tests: The doctor may perform various blood tests, such as checking your red blood cell count to determine whether you have anemia, which means that you do not have enough red blood cells. He or she can also screen for H. pylori infection and pernicious anemia with blood tests.

Fecal occult blood test (stool test): This test checks for the presence of blood in your stool, a possible sign of gastritis.
Management

Preventing H. pylori infection

It's not clear how H. pylorus spreads, but there's some evidence that it could be transmitted from person to person or through contaminated food and water. You can take steps to protect yourself from infections, such as H. pylori, by frequently washing your hands with soap and water and by eating foods that have been cooked completely.

Treating Gastritis 


A combination of different antibiotics is used as the primary treatment for H. pylori induced gastritis. Apart from that, medications that block acid production and promote healing, as well as antacids that neutralise stomach acid is also used. 

When to consult a doctor?

Nearly everyone has had a bout of indigestion and stomach irritation. Most cases of indigestion are short-lived and don't require medical care. See your doctor if you have signs and symptoms of gastritis for a week or longer. Tell your doctor if your stomach discomfort occurs after taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs, especially aspirin or other pain relievers.

If you are vomiting blood, have blood in your stools or have stools that appear black, see your doctor right away to determine the cause.

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