Gastritis: Causes, Risk and Prevention

Last updated on November 9th, 2022 at 04:55 pm

Introduction and prevalence of Gastritis

Gastritis is a type of disease that is characterized by irritation, inflammation, and erosion of the lining of the stomach.

It can linger for a short period(acute) or a long period(chronic).

As per the survey done by a group of medical professionals, worldwide, 50.8% of the population(both men and women) from developing countries whereas 34.7% of the population(both men and women) from developed countries suffer from this disease(source in reference).

Nepal is no exception to this disease.

Many young, as well as old Nepalese, suffer from this disease.

Fortunately, this disease can be cured/treated through medication and some lifestyle changes.

Is Gastritis it a transferable disease?

No. This disease is not transferable from person to person. BUT, the bacteria(H. Pylori) that is one of the causes of this disease is transferable so, wash your hand as well as your foods regularly before eating.

PS: water should be treated(through any medium) before drinking/using it for other purposes.

What causes Gastritis?

Some of the common causes of Gastritis are listed and explained below:

• Alcohol can cause erosion of the stomach lining so, excessive consumption of alcohol can cause gastritis,
• Bacterial infection(such as H. Pylori, etc.) can cause gastritis
• Bile moving backward(i.e bile is produced by the stomach to digest fatty foods but, if this moves back to the stomach rather than the small intestine, this can cause gastritis)
• Some medication(which may have a side effect of the irritating stomach lining) can cause gastritis
• Injury to the body(doesn’t necessarily have to be stomach) can cause gastritis(such as burns and brain injury)
• Sometimes your immune system attacks your stomach lining and can cause Gastritis, etc.

Who is at most risk of Gastritis?

People who fall into any one or all of the following categories are most at risk of getting gastritis.

• People who are vulnerable/weaker to bacteria(doesn’t necessarily have to be H. Pylori)
• Stomach lining, as well as the immune system, gets thinner and weaker as you age(PS they are the people likely to be taking medication that causes gastritis), so people who are old are likely to develop gastritis
• People who drink excessive alcohol
• People suffering from physical stress(infection, injury, etc.)
• People with autoimmune disorders, etc.
  

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Symptoms of Gastritis

There are records of people not suffering from any symptoms of this disease but, the most common symptoms are given below:

• Nausea/Indigestion/Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Burning sensation/ache in the upper abdomen(pain)
• Black stool
• A sensation of being full after/during a meal
• Vomiting blood
• Unintentional loss of weight, etc.

When is it time to see a doctor?

If you have felt any or all of the symptoms given above for a week or more than a week OR you belong to the most at-risk group, you should go see a doctor. (but, if you have a black stool/bloody stool or you vomit blood, go see a doctor immediately.)

Request an appointment with our Gastroenterlogist>>>

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How to prevent Gastritis?

As explained earlier, this disease can be prevented by following a certain lifestyle or changing your lifestyle/dietary system. Some of those prevention methods are described below:

• Don’t eat fatty, acidic, fried, hot, and spicy foods(basically, avoid eating foods that irritate the stomach)
• Drink less caffeine(drink to the limit prescribed by health workers),
• Avoid eating a large meal at a time(i.e eating a small amount of meal multiple times a day),
• Taking care of your mental health(i.e stress management),
• Quitting consumption of alcohol/Smoking,
• Wash your hand as well as your food regularly(PS don’t forget to drink only the treated water to prevent transmission of H. Pylori bacteria),
• Exercise regularly, etc.

What are the treatments for Gastritis?

Generally, the treatment of this disease depends on its causes. So, you should go see a doctor for proper medication. But, some of the most common treatments for Gastritis are explained below:

• Taking antibiotics(to treat infection caused by bacteria) and antiacids and other drugs(to reduce acid produced by stomach),
• Stopping the consumption of foods that irritate/erode the stomach lining(such as hot and spicy foods etc.),
• Quitting medication that causes gastritis as prescribed by your doctor,
• If gastritis is caused due to deficiency of B-12(pernicious anemia), taking B-12 shots, etc.