Acidity/ Gastritis or GERD

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Gastritis is a general term for a group of conditions with one thing in common: inflammation of the lining of the stomach. The inflammation of gastritis is most often the result of infection with the same bacterium that causes most stomach ulcers. Regular use of certain pain relievers and drinking too much alcohol also can contribute to gastritis. Gastritis may occur suddenly (acute gastritis), or appear slowly over time (chronic gastritis). In some cases, gastritis can lead to ulcers and an increased risk of stomach cancer. For most people, however, gastritis isn't serious and improves quickly with treatment.

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Symptoms

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The signs and symptoms of gastritis include:

• Gnawing or burning ache or pain (indigestion) in your upper abdomen that may become either worse or better with eating

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• A feeling of fullness in your upper abdomen after eating

• Burning sensation in the upper abdomen, also known as heartburn

• Pain, discomfort in the stomach

• Burping

• Gas and bloating

• Dry mouth, sour and bitter taste in mouth

• Dry, persistent cough

• Bad breath

• Black stools

• Unexpected weight loss

 

Gastritis doesn't always cause signs and symptoms.

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Causes

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Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Weaknesses or injury to the mucus-lined barrier that protects your stomach wall allows your digestive juices to damage and inflame your stomach lining. A number of diseases and conditions can increase your risk of gastritis, including Crohn's disease and sarcoidosis, a condition in which collections of inflammatory cells grow in the body.

 

Risk factors

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Factors that increase your risk of gastritis include:

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• Bacterial infection. Although infection with Helicobacter pylori is among the most common worldwide human infections, only some people with the infection develop gastritis or other upper gastrointestinal disorders. Doctors believe vulnerability to the bacterium could be inherited or could be caused by lifestyle choices, such as smoking and diet.

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• Regular use of pain relievers. Common pain relievers can cause both acute gastritis and chronic gastritis. Using these pain relievers regularly or taking too much of these drugs may reduce a key substance that helps preserve the protective lining of your stomach.

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• Older age. Older adults have an increased risk of gastritis because the stomach lining tends to thin with age and because older adults are more likely to have H. pylori infection or autoimmune disorders than younger people are.

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• Excessive alcohol use. Alcohol can irritate and erode your stomach lining, which makes your stomach more vulnerable to digestive juices. Excessive alcohol use is more likely to cause acute gastritis.

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• Stress. Severe stress due to major surgery, injury, burns or severe infections can cause acute gastritis.

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Treatment

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If any of the above symptoms are troubling you, the most important change that brings significant relief is lifestyle modification. Stress plays a major role in aggravating the symptoms, so proper sleep and a healthy diet can lower stress levels. Try to eliminate foods from your diet that seem to aggravate the condition and observe if doing so brings any relief. You will soon be able to identify what causes acidity and what helps reduce symptoms. Also, if you have a desk job, go for a walk or jog in the mornings or evenings.              

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