Because gastritis occurs with the inflammation of the stomach lining, causes are related to irritants of the stomach and digestive tract. These irritants include eating certain foods, risk factors like smoking, and using certain medications. Other risk factors include health issues like bacterial infections or major surgery. These aren’t the only potential causes, though. Certain diseases can also cause gastritis, like autoimmune disorders. Further, pernicious anemia can be a result of gastritis, if the patient has the autoimmune condition.
Causes
- Heavy consumption of alcohol
- Spicy or sugary foods
- Smoking
- Extreme stress
- NSAIDs, like aspirin and ibuprofen
- Bacterial infections like H. pylori
FAQ
How do you fix gastritis?
Gastritis is typically treated with medications to lower the amount of acid produced by your stomach. Examples of these medications are antacids or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Prilosec (omeprazole) or Nexium (esomeprazole), or histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2 blockers) like Pepcid (famotidine). Of course, treatments can vary by what exactly is causing someone’s gastritis. If an infection like the H. pylori bacteria causes the condition, then a doctor usually prescribes the PPI alongside one or more antibiotics.
Gastritis can sometimes be fixed without medications, though. These strategies include reducing use of NSAIDs, smoking cessation, and avoiding spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol.
What does gastritis feel like?
Gastritis can often not have any symptoms at all. However, inflammation of the stomach can mimic other stomach conditions like indigestion. These symptoms can feel like pain and discomfort in the upper stomach, and even lead to nausea and vomiting.
Can gastritis go away on its own?
The condition will sometimes go away on its own. Since the symptoms can be due to food and alcohol, or medications, they will dissipate with a more regular diet. But, if gastritis is caused by bacteria like H. pylori, acid-reducing medications and antibiotics are necessary to relieve the inflammation.
Disclaimer: this article does not constitute or replace medical advice. If you have an emergency or a serious medical question, please contact a medical professional or call 911 immediately. To see our full medical disclaimer, visit our Terms of Use page.
