Acute Gastritis is a sudden inflammation or swelling of the stomach lining. Unlike other GI conditions, Acute Gastritis only affects the stomach, and does not affect the Intestines. the most common causes of Acute Gastritis are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids. The other causes of Acute Gastritis are injury, bacteria, viruses, stress, or ingesting irritants such as alcohol, NSAIDs, steroids, or spicy food.
Some people with acute gastritis do not have any symptoms. Other people may have symptoms that range from mild to severe.
Common symptoms include:
- Loss of appetite
- Indigestion
- Black stools
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bloody vomit that looks like used coffee grounds
- Pain in the upper part of the abdomen
- A full feeling in the upper abdomen after eating
Some symptoms associated with acute gastritis are also seen in other health conditions including:
- Peptic ulcers, which may accompany gastritis
- Crohn’s disease, which is a chronic inflammatory condition and can involve the entire digestive tract
- Gallstones or gallbladder disease
- Food poisoning, which can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea
Lifestyle changes may also help reduce your acute gastritis symptoms. Changes that could help include:
- Avoiding or limiting alcohol consumption
- Avoiding spicy, fried, and acidic foods
- Eating frequent, small meals
- Reducing stress
- Avoiding drugs that can irritate the stomach lining, such as NSAIDs or aspirin