What is gastritis?
"Gastric" is a word for stomach, and "-itis" means inflammation. So gastritis is inflammation (irritation) of your stomach lining. It can come and go quickly (acute) or last a long time (chronic) depending on the cause.
Gastritis may be caused by infection, stress, or medicine
You might have pain or discomfort in your belly area, feel sick to your stomach, or throw up blood
Doctors may need to look into your stomach with a flexible viewing tube
Doctors will give you medicine to lower the amount of acid in your stomach
What causes gastritis?
Common causes of gastritis include:
Drinking alcohol or other harsh substances that hurt your stomach lining
Stress, including stress from serious injury or illness
Medicines that irritate your stomach, including certain pain medicines (NSAIDs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen)
What are the symptoms of gastritis?
Gastritis may not cause symptoms.
If you do have symptoms, they can include:
Pain or discomfort in your belly, usually in the upper middle part
Feeling sick to your stomach or throwing up
If gastritis causes stomach bleeding, you may:
Throw up blood or dark material that looks like coffee grounds
Pass dark black stool (poop)
How can doctors tell if I have gastritis?
Doctors can often tell if you have gastritis based on your symptoms. Tests usually aren't needed.
Sometimes, doctors may:
Look in your stomach with an endoscope Endoscopy "Endo" means inside, and "scope" means look. So an endoscope is an instrument doctors use to look inside your body. Endoscopes can also be used to do tests and treat diseases. Endoscopes are... read more (a flexible viewing tube)
Do a biopsy (take a sample of your stomach lining to look at under a microscope)
How do doctors treat gastritis?
Doctors treat symptoms with medicines, such as:
Antacids, which neutralize the acid in your stomach and are available without a doctor's prescription
Acid-reducing medicines, which cause your stomach to make less acid
Antibiotics, if your gastritis is from infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria
Doctors will also have you avoid certain foods and drinks and stop taking medicines that hurt your stomach lining, such as aspirin or other NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen).
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Generic Name | Select Brand Names |
|---|---|
aspirin |
DURLAZA |
ibuprofen |
ADVIL, MOTRIN IB |
