Gastritis

Description of the Disease

Gastritis is an inflammatory reaction of the stomach mucosa to damage. This disease can be acute (sudden onset, lasting for a short period of time) and chronic (inflammation of the stomach continues for several months to several years). Gastritis is more common in older people.

Cause of the Disease

Stomach inflammation can be caused by various reasons:

Infection with Helicobacter pylori;
Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen), aspirin;
Excessive alcohol consumption;
Entry of bile acids into the stomach (inflammation most commonly occurs only after a stomach operation);
Immune system disorders (autoimmune gastritis, when the body “fights” against stomach cells due to inherited disorders).

Gastritis can also be caused by other reasons.

Symptoms

Inflammation of the stomach can manifest with the following clinical symptoms:

A feeling of gnawing, burning, or pain in the upper abdomen, below the sternum (“indigestion feeling”).
Nausea, vomiting.
Loss of appetite.

During acute gastritis, symptoms are usually stronger and felt for a short time. In chronic gastritis, the listed symptoms persist constantly.

It is important to know that gastritis can also be asymptomatic.

Diagnosis

When diagnosing gastritis, the cause of inflammation, the localization of inflammation (exact location), data from endoscopic examination of the stomach, and morphological examination (microscopic examination of stomach tissue samples) are taken into account. Gastritis is a histological diagnosis (microscopic examination of stomach mucosal tissue is necessary to confirm it). Morphological changes are very rarely detected during acute gastritis because the inflammation is usually subsided. Detection of H. pylori infection is also important.

Treatment

Treatment of gastritis depends on the cause. In case of H. pylori infection, it is necessary to prescribe antibacterial drugs to eliminate the bacteria. If stomach inflammation is caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, their use should be discontinued. It is also essential to change lifestyle habits: regulate diet, avoid alcohol consumption.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology