Gastritis (patient information)

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 * ; Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Meagan E. Doherty

Overview
Gastritis is an inflammation (irritation and swelling) of the lining of the stomach.

There are two types of Gastritis:
 * Acute gastritis: a sudden inflammation of the lining of the stomach.
 * Chronic gastritis: inflammation of the lining of the stomach that persists for a long time.

What are the symptoms of Gastritis?

 * Abdominal pain
 * Abdominal indigestion
 * Dark stools
 * Loss of appetite
 * Nausea
 * Vomiting
 * Vomiting blood or coffee-ground like material

Who is at highest risk?
Risk factors for Gastritis include:
 * Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol
 * Consuming excessive amounts of caffeine
 * Taking medications such as aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
 * Smoking
 * Stress
 * Having an infection with bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
 * Having a major surgery
 * Traumatic injury, burns, or severe infections
 * Having certain diseases, such as pernicious anemia, autoimmune disorders, and chronic bile reflux

Diagnosis
Gastritis is diagnosed through one or more medical tests:
 * Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy The doctor eases an endoscope, a thin tube containing a tiny camera, through your mouth (or occasionally nose) and down into your stomach to look at the stomach lining. The doctor will check for inflammation and may remove a tiny sample of tissue for tests. This procedure to remove a tissue sample is called a biopsy.
 * Blood test. 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.
 * Stool test. This test 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.

When to seek urgent medical care
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms of gastritis persist longer than 2 or 3 days. Call your health care provider if you vomit blood or have bloody stools.

Treatment options
Treatment depends on the specific cause. Some of the causes will disappear over time.
 * Medications known to cause gastritis should be discontinued.
 * Medications to neutralize stomach acid or decrease its production will usually eliminate the symptoms and promote healing.
 * Antibiotics are used to treat chronic gastritis caused by infection with Helicobacter pylori.
 * Gastritis caused by pernicious anemia is treated with vitamin B12.
 * Gastritis due to stress is best treated by prevention. Medications to decrease gastric acid production such as proton pump inhibitors (PPI) should be given to stressed hospital patients.

Where to find medical care for Gastritis?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Gastritis

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)
Most gastritis improves rapidly with treatment.

Diseases with similar symptoms

 * Alcoholic gastropathy
 * Aortic aneurysm (ruptured)
 * Bacterial infections
 * Burns
 * Candida
 * Corrosive gastritis
 * Crohn's Disease
 * Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in HIV
 * Diseases of the biliary system
 * Drugs
 * Eosinophilic Gastritis
 * Esophageal varices
 * Functional dyspepsia
 * Gastric carcinoma
 * Gastritis in pernicious anemia
 * Gastroduodenal ulcer
 * Helicobacter pylori
 * Intoxication
 * Liver failure
 * Lymphocytic gastritis
 * Mallory-Weiss Tear
 * Menetrier's Disease
 * Pancreas carcinoma
 * Pancreatitis
 * Peptic ulcer
 * Perforated ulcer
 * Radiation
 * Reflux esophagitis
 * Renal Failure
 * Respiratory failure
 * Sarcoidosis
 * Sepsis
 * Shock
 * Surgery
 * Syphilis
 * Trauma
 * Tuberculosis
 * Volvulus
 * Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Prevention
Avoid long-term use of irritants (such as aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, or alcohol).