10 Gastritis Symptoms

Gastritis is an inflammation or irritation of the tissue lining the stomach. Although many conditions can cause gastritis, the most common cause of this condition is the Helicobacter pylori infection, a bacterium that commonly causes stomach ulcers. Other important causes of gastritis are the constant drinking of alcohol, eating spicy food frequently and the excessive use of some painkillers. The symptoms of gastritis can appear suddenly (acute gastritis) or appear slowly and progress over the time (chronic gastritis). Fortunately, in many patients the gastritis is a mild problem; however, when it is caused by the H. pylori infection, not treating this disease can increase the risk of developing stomach cancer. This is why it is always important to visit a doctor. The following are the most common symptoms of gastritis: 1. Stomach pain. The pain in gastritis is typically referred in the middle area of the upper part of the abdomen or the stomach area. However, in some cases, it can irradiate to the entire upper portion of the abdomen and even to the back. Most people refer to the pain of acute gastritis as a burning, aching or soreness sensation in the pit of the stomach that can worsen when eating. In fact, when inflammation is severe it can be confused with a heart attack. In chronic gastritis, most patients refer a chronic discomfort in the abdomen. However, the pain can appear after eating certain types of food (especially spicy and fatty), drinking alcohol, or with some habits like smoking. More symptoms on next page... 2. Nausea. It is a frequent symptom in people with chronic gastritis, but it is not constant. Some people say that they experience nausea when having a long period without eating, after eating or when eating certain types of food that can increase the inflammation of the mucosa lining the stomach. It is important to know that, in other diseases, nausea usually disappears after vomiting. However, people with gastritis can experience nausea even after vomiting many times. 3. Vomiting. Vomiting is less frequent than nausea and it usually occurs in people with moderate to severe cases of gastritis. In fact, vomiting usually only appears when the stomach mucosae are very inflamed. The characteristics of the vomit are also important, it is frequently clear, yellow, green or with food remains, but when the stomach is very inflamed, it can turn bloody. This vomit can look like “coffee ground”. When vomit has blood, it usually means that the patient has a gastritis complication or a severe episode, so must visit a doctor or emergency service as soon as possible. 4. Constantly feeling full. Changes in appetite are also frequent in gastritis. The most common change is constantly feeling full, so the patient can intentionally avoid eating. However this is not recommended because, as it was said before, long periods without eating can increase the pain. 5. Abdominal bloating. Bloating can be defined as a feeling of distention and swelling in the stomach that can be bad enough to cause a significant increase in the volume of the abdomen. It is usually linked to gassing, and can get worse after eating heavy meals. However, people with chronic gastritis can also experience bloating after eating mild meals. 6. Indigestion. Indigestion, also called dyspepsia, can be defined as an excessive fullness sensation after eating a usual amount of food. In fact, most people with gastritis must take supplements of digestive enzymes to improve the digestion process and avoid overworking by the stomach. 7. Hiccups. Although it is a less common symptom, people who suffer from chronic gastritis can experience hiccups with more frequency and intensity. It is a very unspecific symptom, but it can be related to the fact that the inflammation can spread from the stomach to the diaphragm and this irritation causes hiccups. It usually resolves itself, but if it is very severe or lasts more than three days it is recommended to visit a doctor. 8. Burning sensation. People with gastritis not only experience a burning sensation in the abdomen, it can irradiate to the chest, especially the back of the sternum. This symptom usually appears hours after eating, and it can be worsened if the patient lies down immediately after eating or wears tight clothing. Likewise, drinking coffee and alcohol, smoking or eating certain types of food can also increase this symptom. 9. Bleeding. It was mentioned previously that a person with severe gastritis can have bloody vomit. However, sometimes a person can have chronic erosion in the gastric mucosa and bleeding is not so evident. In those cases, the patient may have anemia due to the chronic blood loss and blackish stool due to the digestion of the blood in the intestines. This symptom is worse if the person has ulcers. 10. No- symptoms. Although it may sound contradictory, people with gastritis in some cases don't feel any symptom until the disease is advanced or severe. This is one of the main reasons why H. pylori infection spreads easily, as many people don’t know they are infected. Please note: Due to the wide variety of symptoms that a person with gastritis can experience, it is always important to visit a gastroenterologist to obtain the best treatment for the disease and to avoid complications. Likewise, it is very important to treat H. pylori infection to avoid developing gastric ulcers, ulcer perforation and stomach cancer, and to avoid spreading of this infection to other people.

9. Bleeding

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