Gastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach and can be an acute or chronic complaint. Acute gastritis involves a simple inflammation with superficial ulcers.
Chronic gastritis may be associated with an autoimmune condition, such as anaemia or hypothyroidism, or long term use of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
In acute gastritis there are bouts of epigastric pain and vomiting. In cases of ulceration, blood may be vomited.
Chronic gastritis has fewer characteristic symptoms. These include discomfort in the stomach with nausea in the mornings, belching, vomiting of mucus, abdominal distension and an unpleasant taste in the mouth. There may also be signs of bleeding gums (gingivitis).
The symptoms of gastritis depend on how acute it is and how long it has been present. In the acute phase, there may be pain or gnawing in the upper abdomen, nausea and vomiting. In the chronic phase, the pain may be dull and there may be loss of appetite with a feeling of fullness after several bites of food. Very often, there are no symptoms at all. If the pain is severe, there may be an ulcer as well as gastritis
Causes
It is commonly caused by aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, alcohol or from stressful situations, burns, injuries, kidney or liver disease & the virus Helicobacter Pylori.
Helicobacter Pylori
This is the name of a bacteria that has learned to live in the thick mucous lining of the stomach. Although it doesn't actually infect the underlying tissue, it does result in acute and chronic inflammation. It probably occurs early in childhood and remains throughout life unless taken care of. The infection can lead to ulcers and, in later life, even to stomach cancer in some people. Fortunately, there are now ways to make the diagnosis and treat this disorder.
Autoimmune Gastritis - Pernicious Anemia
The immune system makes antibodies and other proteins that fight off infection and keep the body healthy. In some disorders, the body mistakenly targets one of its own organs as a foreign protein or infection. It makes antibodies against it and can severely damage or even destroy the organ. Diseases such as lupus, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis and the type of diabetes that requires insulin, are examples. The stomach lining also may be attacked by the immune system leading to loss of the stomach cells. This causes acute and chronic inflammation which can result in a condition called pernicious anaemia. The anaemia occurs because the body no longer can absorb vitamin B12 due to a lack of a key stomach factor, destroyed by the chronic inflammation. Stomach cancer can even occur later in life.
Aspirin & NSAID Gastritis
NSAID stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. These are arthritis and pain relievers and include the over-the-counter drugs such as Advil, Motrin and ibuprofen as well as many prescription arthritis medicines. Along with aspirin, they reduce a protective substance in the stomach called prostaglandin. These drugs usually cause no problems when taken for the short-term. However, regular use can lead to a gastritis as well as a more serious ulcer condition.
Alcohol
Alcohol and certain other chemicals can cause inflammation and injury to the stomach. This is strictly dose related in that a lot of alcohol is usually needed to cause gastritis. Social or occasional alcohol use is not damaging to the stomach although alcohol does stimulate the stomach to make acid.
Hypertrophic Gastritis
At times, the folds in the stomach will become enlarged and swollen along with the inflammation. There is not a great deal known about why this occurs. A variation of this type of gastritis is called Ménétrier's disease where the gastric folds become gigantic. With this condition, there is often protein loss into the stomach from these weeping folds.