Gastritis
Symptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More

Learn About Gastritis

What is the definition of Gastritis?

Gastritis occurs when the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed or swollen.

Gastritis may last for only a short time (acute gastritis) or it may linger for months to years (chronic gastritis).

What are the causes of Gastritis?

The most common causes of gastritis are:

  • Certain medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen and other similar medicines
  • Heavy alcohol drinking
  • Infection of the stomach with a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori

Less common causes are:

  • Autoimmune disorders (such as pernicious anemia)
  • Backflow of bile into the stomach (bile reflux)
  • Cocaine use
  • Eating or drinking caustic or corrosive substances (such as poisons)
  • Viral infection, such as cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus (more often occurs in people with a weak immune system)

Trauma or a severe, sudden illness such as major surgery, kidney failure, or being placed on a breathing machine may cause gastritis.

What are the symptoms of Gastritis?

Many people with gastritis do not have any symptoms.

Symptoms you may notice are:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Pain in the upper part of the belly or abdomen

If gastritis is causing bleeding from the lining of the stomach, symptoms may include:

  • Black stools
  • Vomiting blood or coffee-ground-like material
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What are the current treatments for Gastritis?

Treatment depends on what is causing the problem. Some of the causes will go away over time.

You may need to stop taking aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or other medicines that may be causing gastritis. Always talk to your health care provider before stopping any medicine.

You may use other over-the-counter and prescription drugs that decrease the amount of acid in the stomach, such as:

  • Antacids
  • H2 antagonists: famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet), and nizatidine (Axid)
  • Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), Iansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (AcipHex), and pantoprazole (Protonix)
  • Newer acid blockers called potassium-competitive acid blockers (PCABs) (such as vonoprazan)

Antibiotics may be used to treat gastritis caused by infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria. They are taken with an acid blocker such as a PPI or PCAB.

Who are the top Gastritis Local Doctors?
Elite in Gastritis
Elite in Gastritis
Referral may be required
Setagaya, JP 

Kazuhiko Koike-Kajiwara practices practicing medicine in Setagaya, Japan. Koike-Kajiwara is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Gastritis. They are also highly rated in 45 other conditions, according to our data. Their clinical expertise encompasses Liver Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Hepatitis, Endoscopy, and Stent Placement.

Distinguished in Gastritis
Internal Medicine
Distinguished in Gastritis
Internal Medicine

Northeast Georgia Physicians Group Toccoa Clinic

58 Big A Road, 
Toccoa, GA 
Languages Spoken:
English
Accepting New Patients

Nicholas Talley is a primary care provider, practicing in Internal Medicine in Toccoa, Georgia. Dr. Talley is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Gastritis. He is also highly rated in 27 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Indigestion, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth, Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy. Dr. Talley is currently accepting new patients.

 
 
 
 
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Elite in Gastritis
Elite in Gastritis
Referral may be required
Leipziger Str. 44, 
Magdeburg, ST, DE 

Peter Malfertheiner practices practicing medicine in Magdeburg, Germany. Mr. Malfertheiner is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Gastritis. He is also highly rated in 25 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Gastritis, Helicobacter Pylori Infection, Chronic Erosive Gastritis, Endoscopy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

What is the outlook (prognosis) for Gastritis?

The outlook depends on the cause, but is often very good.

What are the possible complications of Gastritis?

Blood loss and increased risk for gastric cancer can occur.

When should I contact a medical professional for Gastritis?

Contact your provider if you develop:

  • Pain in the upper part of the belly or abdomen that does not go away
  • Black or tarry stools
  • Vomiting blood or coffee-ground-like material
How do I prevent Gastritis?

Avoid long-term use of substances that can irritate your stomach such as aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, or alcohol.

What are the latest Gastritis Clinical Trials?
Development and Validation of Fine-Tuning Techniques for Large Models in Gastric, Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases

Summary: The goal of this observational study is to leverage the abundant patient resources and standardized medical records from Beijing Friendship Hospital, Xuanwu Hospital, and Beijing Anzhen Hospital, combined with the existing data and knowledge platform of guidelines, consensus, medical literature, and dialogue data from Beijing Haitian Ruisheng Science Technology Co.,Ltd, with Beijing Zhilan Medical...

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The Prevalence and the Pathophysiological Role of Non-Helicobacter Pylori Helicobacter Spp. in Well-defined Gastric Diseases and (Pre-) Malignancies

Summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to discover the prevalence of NHPH bacteria (Non-Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter species) in patients with one of the following conditions: 1. Functional dyspepsia following the Rome IV criteria 2. Active chronic gastritis, non-H. pylori induced atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and non-H.pylori gastric dysplasia 3. Gastric cancer, including siewert type...

Who are the sources who wrote this article ?

Published Date: January 24, 2025
Published By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Gastroenterologist, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

What are the references for this article ?

Feldman M, Jensen PJ, Howden CW. Gastritis and gastropathy. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 52.

Kuipers EJ. Acid peptic disease. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 125.