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The Symptoms of Gastritis

You think back on everything you ate and try to find the culprit that has caused you this debilitating stomach pain. Was it the spicy food that you ate last night or was it something you had for breakfast? Eventually it goes away and you continue on, but what caused it and how can you stop it?

Millions of people are affected by Digestive diseases and a large portion of these are affected specifically by Gastritis. Gastritis is the inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It is not a single disease, but it is many different conditions that all cause inflammation of the stomach.

The most common symptom of Gastritis is upper abdominal pain that may worsen after eating. Other symptoms include belching, bloating, nausea, vomiting, feeling of fullness, burning in the upper abdomen, loss of appetite and indigestion. Symptoms of severe Gastritis are paleness, sweating, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, faintness, chest pain, severe stomach pain, blood bowel movements, dark foul-smelling stools and vomiting blood.

There are a few digestive problems that have symptoms that are similar to Gastritis. Gastroenteritis, heartburn, stomach ulcers and nonulcer dyspepsia all share similar symptoms of Gastritis.

Causes and risk factors of Gastritis are smoking, regular use of pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, erosion of the protective lining of the stomach, infection of the stomach caused by heliocobacter pylori bacteria, alcohol, autoimmune diseases, excessive gastric acid secretion caused by stress, viral infection, cocaine use, stress, Crohn’s disease, radiation and chemotherapy, bile reflux disease, overeating, eating spicy foods and pernicious anemia. Gastritis is possibly associated with HIV/AIDS, parasitic infections, connective tissue disorders and liver or kidney failure.

Tests used for Diagnosis include upper endoscopy, blood tests, fecal occult blood test, EGD (esophagogastroduodensoscopy) and biopsy and a CBC to check for anemia.

Mild Gastritis can be treated with over-the-counter antacids such as Maalox or Mylanta. Other treatment options include antibiotics for infection, elimination of aspirin, ant-inflammatory drugs and alcohol and avoiding hot and spicy foods. Rarely surgery is needed underlying diseases or conditions. The most important treatment for Gastritis is lifestyle changes, which starts with changes in your diet.

Gastritis can lead to stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding if it is left untreated. Chronic Gastritis can increase the risk of stomach cancer. Approximately 3.7 million people are affected by Gastritis. In 2002 there were a reported 357 deaths caused from Gastritis according to the National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse.

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By: C.Olvera
Published: 08/22/08


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5 Posted Comments:

@ 1:49 pm 09/01/08 by R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen
Excellent article. It has a lot of great information.
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@ 4:58 pm 09/01/08 by Willow Sidhe
357 deaths caused by gastritis? That's incredible. It has such an innocent sounding name but I guess it's more serious than I previously thought. Thanks for the great info.
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@ 12:18 am 09/02/08 by Xiaoyu Yang
I didn't thought it could cost people's lives.
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@ 9:38 pm 09/02/08 by C.D. Crowder
Great article. I can't imagine actually dying from gastritis. Still, mild heart burn is a pain for me, so I really do pity anyone with severe gastritis.
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@ 8:10 am 09/03/08 by yourstrulyisabel
I have gastrits actually. It started when I was still in college. I always get to skip my lunch because I have to travel about 1 and a half hours from school and usually I reach home past lunch time. Medications does help but good eating habit is the best cure and thats eating on time always. And don't let hunger pass by, aleast eat a candy or anything sweet or some biscuits.
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