What should you know about gastritis?

What is the medical definition of gastritis?

Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. There are two types of gastritis, acute and chronic.

What are the signs and symptoms of gastritis?

Some people with gastritis may not have any symptoms; however, both acute and chronic gastritis may have symptoms and signs of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and occasionally, belching, bloating, loss of appetite and indigestion.

What causes gastritis?

A bacterium called Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the two main causes of gastritis; however, there are many other causes of the condition, for example, infectious agents, autoimmune problems, diseases like Crohn’s disease, sarcoidosis, and isolated granulomatosis gastritis.

How do you know if you have gastritis?

Gastritis can be diagnosed by the your symptoms and history (for example, NSAID and/or alcohol consumption), or by breath, blood, stool, immunological, and biopsy tests to detect H. pylori, and other tests like endoscopy or radiologic studies demonstrate mucosal changes.

What is the treatment for gastritis?

The treatment for gastritis varies according to the cause. Other less common causes may be treated similarly, but do not treat the underlying cause.

Is there a diet for gastritis?

Gastritis symptoms can be aggravated by chemical irritants that cause or aggravate the symptoms of gastritis should be reduced or stopped all together. For example, stop smoking cigarettes, avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, avoid caffeinated, decaffeinated, and carbonated drinks; and fruit juices that contain citric acid, for example, grapefruit, orange, pineapple, etc., and avoid high-fat foods.

There is no gastritis diet, however, the growth of H. pylori may be stopped by a diet rich in fiber, and foods that contain flavonoids, for example, certain teas, onions, garlic, berries, celery, kale, broccoli, parsley, thyme, foods with soy, and legumes, for example, lentils, kidney, black, soy, pinto, and navy beans.

What home remedies help reduce symptoms of gastritis?

Home remedies may help reduce gastritis symptoms, but usually does not treat the underlying cause of the condition.

How long does it take for gastritis to go away?

People with acute gastritis usually recover completely with no complications. However, chronic gastritis may have a range of outcomes from good (early treatment) to poor if serious complications develop. Rarely, complications can occur from acute gastritis.

Complications from chronic gastritis include peptic ulcer, bleeding ulcers, anemia, gastric cancers, MALT lymphoma, renal problems, strictures, bowel obstruction, or even death.

If underlying causes of gastritis (for example, alcohol, or NSAIDs usage) are treated or not used, gastritis also may be prevented.

Can gastritis be cured?

Gastritis may be cured if the underlying cause(s) is cured.

How can you prevent gastritis?

Since gastritis is infections and can you can avoid it by practicing good hand washing techniques, for example, wash the hands thoroughly and frequently. To reduce the risk of gastritis avoid situations where you are exposed to chemicals, radiation, or toxins.