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What Are The Causes And Symptoms Of Chronic Gastritis?
Gastritis is when the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed, usually as a result of an infection or autoimmune condition. Chronic gastritis is a long term condition that can lead to pain, nausea, bloating, and other symptoms.
A wide range of different conditions and factors may cause or contribute to the development of chronic gastritis.
People may treat mild cases of gastritis with medication and lifestyle changes. However, for some people with severe chronic gastritis, a cure may not be possible, and the focus of treatment will be on managing their symptoms.
In this article, we look at the symptoms, causes, and possible complications of chronic gastritis. We also cover when to see a doctor, diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle and dietary changes.
According to an older 2015 study, chronic gastritis is one of the most common chronic conditions and can last for years or even a lifetime if left untreated.
People with minor cases of gastritis that are caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) may not always notice any symptoms.
However, gastritis may cause a variety of symptoms, including:
In some cases, gastritis may lead to erosions or ulcers and the stomach lining may bleed. People should seek immediate medical attention if they experience any of the following symptoms:
There are different causes of chronic inflammation of the mucosal lining of the stomach.
H. Pylori infectionAccording to an older 2015 study, H. Pylori infection is the most common cause of gastritis worldwide. Many people first contract H. Pylori during childhood, but not everyone experiences symptoms.
Researchers think H. Pylori transmits through food, water, saliva, and other bodily fluids. However, research is ongoing.
Irritative substancesDamage to the stomach lining resulting from irritation can lead to chronic inflammation. Causes of this may include:
Autoimmune conditionsIn people with autoimmune gastritis, their immune system mistakenly attacks the stomach lining.
When the immune system attacks the stomach lining it can cause inflammation and damage.
Other causesLess common causes of gastritis may include:
According to an older 2015 study, if a person receives proper treatment, acute cases of gastritis are rarely associated with complications. However, people may experience serious health complications if they have severe or untreated chronic gastritis.
Erosive gastritis can cause peptic ulcers. Once an ulcer has formed, they can progressively degrade the surrounding tissues, widening and enlarging themselves. Severe ulcers may eventually cause internal bleeding, which can be life-threatening if left untreated.
Other possible complications of chronic gastritis include anemia and malabsorption of vitamin B-12 and other micronutrients.
Gastritis may also be a risk factor for developing abnormal stomach growths, such as polyps and tumors.
The United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) suggests that people with symptoms of gastritis should see a doctor if the symptoms:
A person should call 911 or seek emergency medical attention if they experience any of the following:
Doctors use a wide range of tests and tools to diagnose chronic gastritis, including:
Treatment depends on the type, cause, and severity of gastritis.
Doctors usually treat gastritis resulting from H. Pylori with a combination of medications, which may include:
People may need to take supplements or make dietary adjustments to prevent complications if their chronic gastritis is causing nutritional deficiencies. A person may also need to make changes to their diet if their gastritis is associated with celiac disease or food allergies.
In other cases, a healthcare professional may suggest a person stops taking NSAIDs, takes a lower dose, or takes a different medication to treat pain. Alternatively, they may recommend taking a PPI alongside NSAIDs.
A doctor may prescribe ursodiol or recommend surgery for people whose gastritis results from bile reflux.
If a person has erosive gastritis, healthcare professionals may recommend medications that reduce the amount of acid in the stomach, such as:
Regardless of the cause or severity of symptoms, making dietary and lifestyle adjustments may help treat gastritis or prevent it occurring.
The NHS recommends the following tips to manage indigestion resulting from gastritis:
An older 2016 review of research suggests that people with H. Pylori may benefit from eating foods with anti-bacterial properties, such as:
People should speak with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to their diet or lifestyle.
Chronic gastritis can cause pain and discomfort and lead to serious complications if left untreated. People should see their doctor if they have symptoms of chronic gastritis.
Management of chronic gastritis involves treating any underlying conditions. A doctor may recommend a person takes medications or makes changes to their diet and lifestyle.
A person should seek emergency medical attention if they experience any symptoms of internal bleeding, like blood in the stool or vomit.
I've Been Eating Probiotics For A Month And I Can't Believe How Much It's Helped My Chronic Bloating
I remember the first time I realised that I was bloated often. It was a few years ago and I had eaten something my stomach didn't quite agree with, causing my belly to painfully distend and feel rock hard to the touch. It wasn't the first time this had happened, nor would it be the last.
Not every bloating was painful, but the rock hard stomach (not in a good way) and the uncomfortable feeling seemed to hit soon after every meal. I tried to cut certain foods out of my diet to see if that would help. Cutting out gluten and dairy helped a little, but not enough to give up a lifetime of bread and cheese. Cutting sugar boosted my energy but did little to help with the bloating.
It wasn't until I started studying nutrition that I realised the answer might not be to cut something out of my diet. Instead, it could be to add something in.
You've probably heard of probiotics before. In food, they're usually fermented and known as the 'five Ks': kimchi, kefir, kamut, kombucha, and (sauer)kraut.
"Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms with beneficial bacteria for our gut microbiome," Eli Brecher, a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) and gut health specialist for ARVRA wellness tells me. "Fermented foods are a great place to start when it comes to probiotics. These include foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh and live yoghurt, as well as drinks like kombucha and kefir."
So, like the diligent nutritional therapy student I was trying to be, I gave it a go. I started adding in kimchi and sauerkraut - unpasteurised as pasteurised takes out all the probiotic goodness - to at least one meal a day, usually on the side of an omelette.
It didn't take long for me to notice the effects. Within a week, I was no longer bloated after every meal. Cut to now, a month later, and I can't remember the last time I experienced any painful distention or uncomfortable bloating.
Brecher says the reason for this could be because probiotics can increase the amount of 'good' bacteria in the gut. "One of the possible causes of bloating is dysbiosis, meaning an imbalance of 'good' and 'bad' bacteria in the gut," she explains. "So by adding in more 'good' gut bugs through probiotics, that may help outnumber the 'bad' bugs and in turn relieve bloating."
However, Brecher warns that probiotics are not a universal cure-all for bloating, and can even make the issue worse in some people, and that others experience initial bloating when they start eating probiotics which calms down after a while.
This is why she recommends introducing probiotics into your diet gradually. "Plain yoghurt is an easy option," she says. "Just make sure it contains 'live active cultures' as some manufacturing processes kill off the good bacteria. Aim to eat a small amount of fermented foods every day. Start with a few spoons of live yoghurt in your breakfast and a tablespoon of sauerkraut with lunch or dinner a few times a week, then build up to every day if you can."
Aside from potentially easing bloating, some other health benefits of probiotics noted by Bercher is that they can support good gut health which can boost your immune system, hormones, skin, and mental health. "All of these are closely linked to the gut," Bercher explains. "Probiotic supplements are often beneficial for a variety of issues, particularly to those who suffer with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal issues like constipation and diarrhoea."
So, while probiotics may not be the bloating solution for everyone, don't knock it 'til you try it. In the meantime, you'll find me worshipping at the fermented food altar for the foreseeable.
Immune Key To Chronic Viral Infections Discovered
Australian researchers have discovered a previously unknown rogue immune cell that can cause poor antibody responses in chronic viral infections. The finding, published today (9 April) in the journal, Immunity, may lead to earlier intervention and possibly prevention of some types of viral infections such as HIV or hepatitis.
One of the remaining mysteries of the human immune system is why a certain cell, called a B cell, which retains a memory for past infections -- ensuring we fight off diseases we have experienced before -- often only has a weak capacity to protect us from persistent infections.
Researchers from the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute have essentially solved this mystery by discovering how chronic viral infection induces a previously unknown immune B memory cell that does not produce high levels of antibody.
Importantly the research team, led by Professor Kim Good-Jacobson and Dr Lucy Cooper, also determined the most effective time during the immune response for therapeutics such as anti-viral and anti-cancer drugs to better boost immune memory cell development.
"What we discovered was a previously unknown cell that is produced by chronic viral infection. We also determined that early intervention with therapeutics was the most effective to stop this type of memory cell being formed, whereas late intervention could not," Professor Good-Jacobson said.
According to Dr Cooper, chronic viral infections have been known to alter our ability to form effective long-term protective antibody responses, but how that happens is unknown.
"In the future, this research may result in new therapeutic targets, with the aim to reduce the devastating effect of chronic infectious diseases on global health, specifically those that are not currently preventable by vaccines," she said.
"Revealing this new immune memory cell type, and what genes it expresses, allows us to determine how we can target it therapeutically and whether that will lead to better antibody responses."
The research team are also looking to see whether this population is a feature of long COVID, which results in some people having a reduced capacity to fight off the symptoms of COVID infection long after the virus has dissipated.
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