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February 8, 2012
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Gastritis

Medical Author:
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Medical Editor:
Bhupinder Anand, MD

Gastritis Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Gastritis?

In people who have gastritis symptoms, pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen is the most common.

  • The pain is usually in the upper central portion of the abdomen (the "pit" of the stomach).
  • Gastritis pain occurs in the left upper portion of the abdomen and in the back. The pain seems to "go right straight through" a person as it travels from the belly to the back.
  • People often use the terms burning, aching, gnawing, or sore to describe the pain. Usually, a vague sense of discomfort is present, but the pain may be sharp, stabbing, or cutting.

Other symptoms of gastritis include the following:

  • Belching
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Bloating
  • Feeling of fullness or burning in the upper part of the belly

In more severe gastritis, bleeding may occur inside the stomach. Any of the following symptoms can be seen as well as those already mentioned....

Read more in-depth information about the symtpoms of gastritis »

Gastritis Overview

Gastritis, an inflammation or irritation of the lining of the stomach, is not a single disease. Rather, gastritis is a condition that has many causes. Common to all people with gastritis is pain or discomfort in the upper part of the belly (abdomen), also called dyspepsia.

Gastritis can be a brief and sudden illness (acute gastritis), a longer-lasting condition (chronic gastritis), or a special condition, perhaps as part of another medical illness.

  • An example of acute gastritis is stomach upset that may follow the use of alcohol or certain medications such as aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
  • Helicobacter pylori is a type of bacteria that infects the stomach. Infection with this bacteria may lead to chronic gastritis.

Gastritis is a common medical problem, with up to10% of people who come to a hospital emergency department with the complaint of abdominal pain being ultimately diagnosed with gastritis.

Gastritis Causes

Gastritis is associated with various medications, medical and surgical conditions, physical stresses, social habits, chemicals, and infections. Some of the more common causes of gastritis are listed here.

Medications (only the most common medications are listed)

Swallowing chemicals or objects

  • Corrosives (acid or lye)
  • Swallowed foreign bodies (paper clips or pins)

Medical and surgical conditions

  • People who are critically ill or injured develop gastritis.
  • After medical procedures (such as endoscopy, in which a specialist looks into the stomach with a small lighted tube)
  • After an operation to remove a part of the stomach
  • After radiation treatment for cancer
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Pernicious anemia
  • Chronic vomiting

Infections

  • Tuberculosis
  • Syphilis
  • Bacterial infections: H pylori infection is the most common. Many other bacteria-even those that usually cause pneumonia or bladder infection can cause gastritis.
  • Viral infections
  • Fungal (yeast) infections
  • Parasites and worms

Other Causes

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Gastritis - Causes

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What treatment has been effective for your gastritis?

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Gastritis - Describe Your Experience

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GI Disorders

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Gastritis

Gastrointestinal Bleeding »

Gastrointestinal Bleeding Overview

The many causes of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding are classified into upper or lower, depending on their location in the GI tract.

  • UpperÂgastrointestinal bleeding: Upper GI bleeding originates in the first part of the GI tract-the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum (first part of the intestine). Bleeding can come from ingestion of caustic poisons or stomach cancer. Most often, upper GI bleeding is caused by one of the following:

    • Peptic ulcers

    • Gastritis

    • Esophageal varices

    • Mallory-Weiss tears

  • LowerÂgastrointestinal bleeding: Lower GI bleeding originates in the portions of the GI tract farther down the digestive system-the segment of the small intestine farther from the stomach, large intestine, rectum, and anus. Diverticular disease, angiodysplasia, polyps, hemorrhoids, and anal fiss...



Read the Gastrointestinal Bleeding article »


Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Gastritis, Acute »

Acute gastritis is a term covering a broad spectrum of entities that induce inflammatory changes in the gastric mucosa.

Read More on Medscape Reference »

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