Definition:
Inflammation of the gastric mucosa of the stomach. Depending on the cause, gastritis may persist acutely or chronically and may coincide with more serious condition such as atrophy of the stomach.
Diagnosis:
In suspected cases, a doctor usually orders a barium meal test and gastroscopy to determine gastritis and related conditions such as peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. However, the most reliable way for determining gastritis is doing a biopsy during gastroscopy and checking for histological characteristics of gastritis and infection. For Helicobacter infection, which is the most common cause, one can test non-invasively with a urea breath test, stool antigen test, or blood antibody test.
Treatment:
Treatment for gastritis usually consists of removing the irritant or the infection. In cases of infection, a doctor often prescribes antimicrobial drugs. Helicobacter infection typically answers well to the triple therapy protocol (consisting of two antibiotics, and a proton pump inhibitor).
Symptoms and Signs:
Here are the symptoms that can be a result of gastritis or can relate to the underlying cause: Upper abdominal pain or discomfort, gastric hemorrhage, hypochlorhydria, appetite loss, belching, nausea, vomiting, fever and Lethargy.
Causes:
Here are the following known causes and factors of gastritis: Bacterial infection, fungal infection, parasitic infection, bile reflux, NSAIDs, cigarette smoke, autoimmune disorder, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive caffeine consumption, certain allergens, certain types of other conditions, stomach injury, stress and eating disorders such as ‘bulimia'.
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