What is Mild Gastritis?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gastritis is inflammation of the lining of the stomach.^[1] It may occur as a short episode or may be of long duration.^[1] There may be no symptoms but, when symptoms are present, the most common is upper abdominal pain (see dyspepsia).^[1] Other possible symptoms include nausea and vomiting, bloating, loss of appetite, and heartburn.^[1][2] Complications may include stomach bleeding, stomach ulcers, and stomach tumors.^[1] When due to autoimmune problems, low red blood cells due to not enough vitamin B12 may occur, a condition known as pernicious anemia.^[3]

Common causes include infection with Helicobacter pylori and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).^[1] Less common causes include alcohol, smoking, cocaine, severe illness, autoimmune problems, radiation therapy, and Crohn’s disease.^[1][6] Endoscopy, a type of X-ray known as an upper gastrointestinal series, blood tests, and stool tests may help with diagnosis.^[1] The symptoms of gastritis may be a presentation of myocardial infarction.^[2] Other conditions with similar symptoms include inflammation of the pancreas, gallbladder problems, and peptic ulcer disease.^[2]

Prevention is by avoiding things that cause the disease.^[4] Treatment includes medications such as antacids, H2 blockers, or proton pump inhibitors.^[1] During an acute attack drinking, viscous lidocaine may help.^[7] If gastritis is due to NSAIDs these may be stopped.^[1] If H. pylori is present it may be treated with a combination of antibiotics such as amoxicillin and clarithromycin.^[1] For those with pernicious anemia, vitamin B12 supplements are recommended either by mouth or by injection.^[3] People are usually advised to avoid foods that bother them.^[8]

Gastritis is believed to affect about half of people worldwide.^[4] In 2013 there were approximately 90 million new cases of the condition.^[9] As people get older the disease becomes more common.^[4] It, along with a similar condition in the first part of the intestines known as duodenitis, resulted in 50,000 deaths in 2015.^[5] H. pylori were first discovered in 1981 by Barry Marshall and Robin Warren.^[10]

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. Regular use of certain pain relievers and drinking too much alcohol also can contribute to gastritis.

Signs and symptoms

Many people with gastritis experience no symptoms at all. However, upper central abdominal pain is the most common symptom; the pain may be dull, vague, burning, aching, gnawing, sore, or sharp.^[11] Pain is usually located in the upper central portion of the abdomen,^[12] but it may occur anywhere from the upper left portion of the abdomen around to the back.

Other signs and symptoms may include the following:

• Nausea
• Vomiting (may be clear, green or yellow, blood-streaked or completely bloody depending on the severity of the stomach inflammation)
• Belching (does not usually relieve stomach pain if present)
• Bloating
• Early satiety^[11]
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss

Causes

There are two categories of gastritis depending on the severeness of the sickness. There is erosive gastritis for which the common causes are stress, alcohol, some drugs such as aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Crohn’s disease. And, there is non-erosive gastritis for which the most common cause is a Helicobacter pylori infection. ^[13]

Common causes include Helicobacter pylori and NSAIDs. Less common causes include alcohol, cocaine, severe illness, and Crohn’s disease, among others.^[1]

More Info

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.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of gastritis include:

• Gnawing or burning ache or pain (indigestion) in your upper abdomen that may become either worse or better with eating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• A feeling of fullness in your upper abdomen after eating

Gastritis doesn’t always cause signs and symptoms.

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.

Causes

Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Weaknesses or injury to the mucus-lined barrier that protects your stomach wall allows your digestive juices to damage and inflame your stomach lining. A number of diseases and conditions can increase your risk of gastritis, including Crohn’s disease and sarcoidosis, a condition in which collections of inflammatory cells grow in the body.

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.

Complications

Left untreated, gastritis may lead to stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding. Rarely, some forms of chronic gastritis may increase your risk of stomach cancer, especially if you have extensive thinning of the stomach lining and changes in the lining’s cells.

Tell your doctor if your signs and symptoms aren’t improving despite treatment for gastritis.

Prevention

Preventing H. pylori infection

It’s not clear how H. pylori spread, 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.

more info at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastritis

https://www.medicinenet.com/gastritis/article.htm

https://patient.info/digestive-health/dyspepsia-indigestion/gastritis

*Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider.
Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
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