Affects: Stomach2–4 h
Gastritis
Inflammation of the stomach lining. It can be acute and short-lived or chronic, and in many cases the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is behind it.
What happens
The stomach wall is protected by a mucus layer that shields it from acid. When that barrier weakens, acid irritates the tissue and inflammation appears. The most common cause worldwide is Helicobacter pylori infection, followed by prolonged use of anti-inflammatory drugs, excessive alcohol and, less often, autoimmune causes.
Acute or chronic
Acute gastritis appears suddenly and usually resolves once the cause is removed. The chronic form settles in silently over years and, untreated, can lead to atrophy of the lining and raise the risk of ulcers and more serious lesions.
What helps
- Identifying and treating the cause: if H. pylori is present, eradicating it changes the outlook
- Reviewing your use of anti-inflammatory drugs with your doctor
- Cutting back alcohol and stopping tobacco
- Smaller, regular meals, avoiding whatever bothers you specifically
Indefinite self-medication is not the answer: acid blockers relieve the symptom but do not resolve the cause, and long term they carry their own effects.
When something goes wrong
- Peptic ulcerAn open sore in the wall of the stomach or the first part of the small intestine, where acid has eroded the tissue.
- H. pyloriA bacterium able to survive in stomach acid. It colonises the gastric lining and is the main cause of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer.
- Functional dyspepsiaPersistent upper abdominal discomfort with no lesion to explain it. The stomach is not damaged, but it functions and perceives abnormally.
