Gastritus Is Not A Single Disease

Gastritus is not a single disease, but several different conditions that all have inflammation of the stomach lining. It is a condition that has many causes. Gastritus can be a brief and sudden illness (acute gastritus), a longer-lasting condition (chronic gastritus), or a special condition, perhaps as part of another medical illness. Gastritus can be caused by drinking too much alcohol, prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen, or infection with bacteria such as helicobacter pylori. Sometimes gastritis develops after major surgery, traumatic injury, burns, or severe infections. Certain diseases, such as pernicious anemia, autoimmune disorders, and chronic bile reflux, can cause gastritus as well.

Common to all people with gastritus is pain or discomfort in the upper part of the belly. Other symptoms are belching, abdominal bloating, nausea, and vomiting or a feeling of fullness or of burning in the upper abdomen. Blood in your vomit or black stools may be a sign of bleeding in the stomach, which may indicate a serious problem requiring immediate medical attention.

Gastritus can be diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The doctor will check for inflammation and may remove a tiny sample of tissue for tests. Another method is by blood test where the doctor may check your red blood cell count to see whether you have anemia, which means that you do not have enough red blood cells. Anemia can be caused by bleeding from the stomach. Another test would be the stool test which checks for the presence of blood in your stool, a sign of bleeding. Stool test may also be used to detect the presence of H. pylori in the digestive tract.

For the treatment of gastritus, it usually involves taking drugs to reduce stomach acid and thereby help relieve symptoms and promote healing. If your gastritus is caused by an infection, that problem may be treated as well. The doctor might prescribe antibiotics to clear up H. pylori infection. Once the underlying problem disappears, the gastritus usually does too.