What is Gastritis? All you need to know.
What Is Acute Gastritis?
Acute gastritis, also known as acute gastric mucosal injury, is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach lining (mucosa). Typically caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria and excessive alcohol consumption, acute gastritis can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. The condition may resolve on its own or can require treatment with antibiotics, antacids or corticosteroids to help manage symptoms and heal the mucosa.
Introduction
Acute gastritis refers to inflammation in your stomach. Although it can be caused by a variety of issues, acute gastritis is most often caused by infection or chronic use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Other causes may include autoimmune diseases like celiac disease, chronic atrophic gastritis and pernicious anaemia. In many cases, you can manage acute gastritis symptoms through diet changes and over-the-counter medications. If your condition persists for more than two weeks, however, contact your doctor for further evaluation. If a bacterial infection is to blame for your symptoms, treatment will include antibiotics; if it’s NSAID-related, you’ll need to stop taking any medications that fall into that category.
How Does Acute Gastritis Develop?
Acute gastritis, while similar to chronic gastritis, is often not caused by a long-term problem. Instead, acute gastritis develops when bacteria or food particles enter your stomach and irritate your stomach lining. This irritation causes a great deal of inflammation and in turn leads to many symptoms associated with acute gastritis (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, etc.). It's easy to mistake severe indigestion for an acute case of gastritis; make sure you're treating your symptoms correctly.
Symptoms of Acute Gastritis
The main symptom of acute gastritis is abdominal pain or discomfort, often in conjunction with nausea and vomiting. Diarrhoea is also possible, although not necessarily present. The symptoms are usually worse after eating a meal or drinking alcohol and may cause an individual to become so uncomfortable that he is unable to sleep. In some cases, however, symptoms are mild enough that they go unnoticed for months or even years before being diagnosed properly. People who develop chronic forms of gastritis can be placed into one of three groups: -The 10 percent who are asymptomatic: People in these groups don't experience any noticeable symptoms until a problem is detected through medical testing. -The 60 percent who report mild-to-moderate dyspepsia symptoms: These people generally have occasional indigestion issues such as bloating and gas following meals, along with stomach pains throughout the day; most describe their pain level as moderate but tolerable. -The 30 percent who report severe dyspepsia issues: A majority of people within these groups notice upper abdominal pain during meals that increase as they eat, especially if food is rich in fat content; these individuals report feeling nauseous every day.
Causes of Acute Gastritis
Although there are many causes of gastritis, it is most commonly caused by stomach irritation from certain types of food. More than 50% of adults report having experienced some type of gastric pain. There are numerous cases where long-term use of certain medications and drug abuse can lead to chronic inflammation of the stomach lining. This can sometimes lead to cancer but otherwise known as ulcers. Medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen have also been found to cause cancer in individuals who regularly use them for extended periods. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle should help prevent you from getting gastrointestinal diseases like acute gastritis, however, there will always be instances where injury to your digestive system is unavoidable. Eating foods that contain large amounts of acid can irritate your stomach causing a condition called acid reflux disease (also known as GERD). While everyone experiences symptoms of GERD differently, common side effects include:
- Painful abdominal cramps or discomfort,
- Chest pains
- Sore throat after eating.
- Mouth ulcers
Diagnosis of Acute Gastritis
It is diagnosed with a physical examination and history taken by a doctor. The doctor will observe if you have abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting and loss of appetite. If your doctor notices that you have other symptoms like acid reflux or blood in your stool, it could also be an indication of acute gastritis. If there is strong suspicion about acute gastritis then doctors can order some tests for determining its origin such as medical imaging tests and laboratory tests, endoscopy etc. An endoscopic test is done to confirm whether it’s due to H. pylori bacteria or not by examining a specimen under a microscope. And further treatment depends on what has caused it i.e., H. pylori infection or non-infectious disease-causing inflammation in the stomach lining.
Treatment for Acute Gastritis
Commonly prescribed medication for acute gastritis include antacids, histamine H2-receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), and/or antibiotics. If left untreated, gastritis can become a chronic condition. However, with proper treatment and follow-up care, most patients should feel better within three to five days. Because symptoms may come and go over time, it’s important to keep an eye on your body and schedule regular checkups with your physician. This will allow you to identify early signs of infection or complications so that you can seek help right away.
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