What is gastritis?
Gastritis (gastrik) is a common term that can be heard from day to day basis. It is a usual term that is used to describe stomach pain. But, what exactly is gastritis? Gastritis is a condition where your stomach wall breaks down, causing the digestive juice to be released and causing further irritation. This irritation is the reason why you will experience stomach pain. People with gastritis will develop signs and symptoms that can be very troublesome to have. The stomach pain caused by this condition will usually hinders someone from continuing their daily activities. Continue reading this article to find out what are the signs and symptoms for gastritis.
What are the signs and symptoms of gastritis?
All of the diseases in this world will have their own signs and symptoms that can be specific to that kind of situation. These are the characteristics that a doctor will often look at in order to come out with a correct diagnosis. Same goes for gastritis. The list below shows the common signs and symptoms that someone with gastritis might experience:
- Gnawing or burning pain on the upper abdomen that usually will become better or worse with eating
- Indigestion
- Feeling of stomach fullness at upper abdomen especially after eating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
These are some of the common signs and symptoms that can develop in someone with gastritis. However, bear in mind that this condition does not always give out these signs and symptoms. There are a lot of known cases where patients reported that they do not experience any of these signs or symptoms at all. Hence, it can be concluded here that these signs and symptoms listed above are exhaustive. This means that other people can experience other signs or symptoms that are not included in the list as well.
What causes gastritis?
As mentioned above, gastritis is a condition where the lining of the stomach is weakened. As a result, digestive juice from the stomach will leak out and cause further distress. So, what are the causes that can weaken the stomach lining? There are some causes that can affect our stomach lining. The list below tells the different causes that can damage the stomach lining:
- Bacterial infection. Infection that is caused by bacteria is the most common cause for gastritis. In this case, the Helicobacter Pylori is the most common culprit that can cause this condition. Helicobacter Pylori will usually infect a person that is vulnerable to it. Some studies think that lifestyle factors such as smoking and diet plays a major rule for this vulnerability.
- Pain reliever medications. Pain reliever medications such as Aspirin and also Ibuprofen are known to cause gastritis due to the specific substances in the ingredients. If you are taking any of these medications, it is a wise action to talk with your doctor about the possible side effects. Do not reduce or increase the dose without your doctor prescription.
- Old age. As we grow older, the body will grow weaker. Older people will have a high tendency of getting gastritis because their stomach is weaker when compared to the younger person. This will surely weaken the stomach lining and cause the digestive juice to leak.
- Alcohol drinking habit. Excessive alcohol drinking habits will surely have a bad effect towards your body. One of them is that it can irritate and erode the stomach lining. So, it is a good idea to reduce or stop your drinking habit if any. If you think that you are having a difficulty in stopping this habit, you can visit a clinic and seek help from them.
