WhatI

sGast
ri
ti
s

Gastri
tisi
saninfl
ammati
on,ir
ri
tat
ion,
orerosi
onof
t
hel i
ningofthest
omach.Itcanoccursuddenl
y
(acut
e)orgradual
ly(
chr
onic)
.

WhatCausesGast ri
ti
s?
Gastri
ti
scanbecausedbyi rr
it
ationdueto
excessi
vealcoholuse,chroni
cv omiti
ng,st
ress,
or
theuseofcertai
nmedi cati
onssuchasaspi r
inor
otheranti
-i
nfl
ammat or
ydr ugs.I
tmayal sobe
causedbyanyoft hefoll
owing:

Heli
cobacterpy l
ori(H.py lori)
:
Abacteriathatliv
esi nthemucousl ini
ngofthestomach;
wit
houtt r
eatment ,t
hei nfect i
oncanleadto
ul
cers,andinsomepeopl e,stomachcancer.
Bil
erefl
ux:
Abackf l
owofbi leintot hest omach
fr
om thebiletract(thatconnect stotheliv
er
andgallbl
adder)
I
nfecti
onscausedbybact eri
aandv ir
uses
I
fgastri
tisisleftuntreated, i
tcanleadtoasevere
l
ossofbl oodandmayi ncr easetheri
skof
devel
opingst omachcancer .

WhatAretheSy
mpt omsofGast
ri
tis?
Symptomsofgastr
it
isvar
yamongi ndi
vi
dual
s,and
i
nmanypeopletherear
enosympt oms.However,
themostcommonsy mptomsi
nclude:

Nauseaorr ecurrentupsetstomach
Abdomi nalbloating
Abdomi nalpai n
Vomi ti
ng
I
ndigest i
on
Burningorgnawi ngfeeli
nginthestomach
betweenmeal soratni ght
Hiccups
Lossofappet it
e
Vomi ti
ngbloodorcof feeground-
li
ke
mat eri
al
Black,tarr
yst ools
HowI
sGast
ri
ti
sDi
agnosed?

Todi agnosegastri
ti
s,yourdoct orwil
lreviewy
our
personalandf amil
ymedi calhistor
y,performa
thoroughphysicaleval
uation,andmayr ecommend
anyoft hefol
lowingtests:

Upperendoscopy.Anendoscope, athintube
contai
ningat i
nycamera,i
sinsert
edthr ough
yourmout handdowni nt
oy ourst
omacht o
l
ookatt hest omachlini
ng.Thedoctorwi ll
checkfori nfl
ammat i
onandmayper f
orma
biopsy,
apr ocedur
einwhichat i
nysampl eof
ti
ssueisr emov edandthensenttoal aborator
y
foranal
y sis.

Bloodt ests.Thedoctormayper formv ar

ious
bloodt ests,suchascheckingyourr edbl
ood
cellcountt odeter
minewhet hery ouhave
anemi a,whichmeanst haty oudonothav e
enoughr edbloodcell
s.Theycanal soscreen
forH.py lorii
nfect
ionandper ni
ciousanemi a
withbloodt ests.

Fecaloccul
tbloodtest(stool
test
).Thistest
checksforthepresenceofbloodinyourstool
,
apossiblesignofgastr
iti
s.

WhatI stheTr eatmentf orGast rit

is?
Treat mentf orgast r
iti
susual l
yi nvolves:
Taki ngant acidsandot herdr ugs( suchas
protonpumpi nhibit
orsorH- 2bl ocker s)to
reducest omachaci d
Avoi dinghotandspi cyfoods
Forgast riti
scausedbyH.py lori i
nfection,your
doct orwi l
lprescribear egimenofsev eral
antibi oti
cspl usanaci dbl ockingdr ug( used
forhear tburn)
I
ft hegast r
it
isiscausedbyper niciousanemi a
,B12v it
ami nshot swillbegiv en.
Eli
mi natingirrit
ati
ngf oodsf rom y ourdi etsuch
asl act osef rom dairyorgl ut
enf rom wheat
Oncet heunder lyi
ngpr oblem disappear s,t
he
gast riti
susual l
ydoes, t
oo.
Youshouldtal
ktoy ourdoct
orbeforestoppi
ngany
medi
cineorstarti
nganygastri
ti
st r
eat
mentony our
own.
WhatIsthePrognosisforGast
rit
is?
Mostpeoplewithgastri
ti
simprovequickl
yonce
tr
eat
menthasbegun.

eference
ShowSour ces
Viewpr ivacypol i
cyandt rusti nf o
WhatI sGast r
iti
s?
Medi cal lyRev i
ewedbyJenni fer
Robi nson, MDonNov ember19, 2020
Gast rit
isi sani nflammat ion, i
r ri
tation,orer osionof
thel i
ningoft hest omach.I tcanoccursuddenl y
(acut e)orgr adual ly( chroni c).
WhatCausesGast ri
tis?
Gast rit
iscanbecausedbyi r
ritat i
onduet o
excessi v eal cohol use, chr onicv omi ti
ng, stress,or
theuseofcer t
ai nmedi cat ionssuchasaspi r
inor
otherant i-i
nflammat or ydr ugs.I tmayal sobe
causedbyanyoft hef ollowi ng:
Hel i
cobact erpy l
or i(H.py l
or i
): Abact eri
athat
l
ivesi nt hemucousl iningoft hest omach;
wi t
houtt reatment , t
hei nf ect i
oncanl eadto
ulcers, andi nsomepeopl e, stomachcancer .
Bileref l
ux: Abackf lowofbi lei ntot hestomach
from t hebi let r
act( thatconnect stot heliver
andgal lbladder)
Infect i
onscausedbybact er i
aandv i
ruses
Ifgast ri
tisi slef tunt reated, i
tcanl eadt oasev ere
l
ossofbl oodandmayi ncr easet her i
skof
dev elopingst omachcancer .
WhatAr et heSy mpt omsofGast rit
is?
Sy mpt omsofgast ri
tisv ar yamongi ndivi
dual s,and
i
nmanypeopl et herear enosy mpt oms.Howev er,
themostcommonsy mpt omsi nclude:
Nauseaorr ecur rentupsetst omach
Abdomi nal bloat i
ng
Abdomi nal pain
Vomi ti
ng
Indigest ion
Bur ningorgnawi ngf eeli
ngi nt hest omach
betweenmeal soratni ght
Hiccups
Lossofappet ite
Vomi tingbl oodorcof feegr ound- like
mat erial
Black, tar ryst ool s
HowI sGast ritisDi agnosed?
Todi agnosegast riti
s, y ourdoct orwi ll r
ev i
ewy our
per sonal andf ami lymedi cal histor y, per f
or ma
thor oughphy sical eval uation, andmayr ecommend
anyoft hef ol l
owi ngt est s:
Upperendoscopy.Anendoscope, at hint ube
cont ai ningat inycamer a,isinser tedt hrough
yourmout handdowni nt oy ourst omacht o
l
ookatt hest omachl ining.Thedoct orwi ll
checkf ori nf l
ammat ionandmayper for ma
biopsy , apr ocedur einwhi chat inysampl eof
ti
ssuei sr emov edandt hensentt oal abor atory
foranal ysis.
Bloodt est s.Thedoct ormayper for mv arious
bloodt est s,suchaschecki ngy ourr edbl ood
cell countt odet ermi newhet hery ouhav e
anemi a, whi chmeanst haty oudonothav e
enoughr edbl oodcel ls.Theycanal soscr een
forH.py l
or iinf ectionandper nici ousanemi a
withbl oodt est s.
Fecal occul tbl oodt est( stool test ).Thi stest
checksf ort hepr esenceofbl oodi ny ourst ool
,
apossi blesi gnofgast riti
s.
WhatI st heTr eatmentf orGast r i
tis?
Treat mentf orgast ri
tisusual lyinv olv es:
Taki ngant aci dsandot herdr ugs( suchas
prot onpumpi nhibitor sorH- 2bl ocker s)to
reducest omachaci d
Av oidinghotandspi cyf oods
Forgast ritiscausedbyH.py lori infect ion, your
doct orwi llprescr ibear egimenofsev eral
ant i
bi ot i
cspl usanaci dbl ocki ngdr ug( used
forhear tbur n)
Ifthegast ri
tisi scausedbyper nici ousanemi a
,B12v itami nshot swi llbegi v en.
Eli
mi nat ingi rr i
tatingf oodsf rom y ourdi etsuch
asl act osef rom dai r
yorgl utenf rom wheat
Oncet heunder lyi
ngpr oblem di sappear s,the
gast ritisusual lydoes, t
oo.
Youshouldtal
ktoy ourdoct
orbeforestoppi
ngany
medi
cineorstarti
nganygastri
ti
st r
eat
mentony our
own.
WhatIsthePrognosisforGast
rit
is?
Mostpeoplewithgastri
ti
simprovequickl
yonce
tr
eat
menthasbegun.