Stomach Gastritis: When your stomach feels very sick

Your stomach lining has an important job. It makes acid and enzymes that help break down food so you can extract the nutrients you need. The lining also protects itself from acid damage by secreting mucus. But sometimes the lining gets inflamed and starts making less acid, enzymes and mucus. This type of inflammation is called gastritis, and it can cause long-term problems.

Some people think they have gastritis when they have pain or an uncomfortable feeling in their upper stomach. But many other conditions can cause these symptoms. Gastritis can sometimes lead to pain, nausea and vomiting. But it often has no symptoms at all. If left untreated, though, some types of gastritis can lead to ulcers (sores in the stomach lining) or even stomach cancer.

People used to think gastritis and ulcers are caused by stress and spicy foods. But research studies show that bacteria called Helicobacter pylori are often to blame. Usually, this bacteria causes no symptoms. It is a common type of bacteria that can cause gastric problems by damaging the lining of your stomach. You can get H. pylori from person-to-person contact, or through contaminated water or food. It can be diagnosed by performing a special breath test to detect H. Pylori or examine a bacteria sample from your stomach or esophagus.

Another type of gastritis, called erosive gastritis, wears away the stomach lining. The most common cause of erosive gastritis is long-term use of medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These include aspirin and ibuprofen. When one stops taking the drugs, the condition usually goes away. Doctors might also recommend reducing the dose or switching to another class of pain medication.

Although spicy food and caffeine do not cause gastritis, you may notice that it triggers or makes symptoms worse. Spicy foods and caffeine can irritate the lining of the stomach, which is already inflamed if you have gastritis. Any additional irritation can make symptoms more prominent. It’s common to avoid spicy foods and caffeine if you have gastrointestinal issues such as gastritis. You may need to limit or avoid foods with chili powder, black and red pepper, garlic powder, hot peppers and other strong spices, as well as caffeinated beverages.

High-fat foods and foods that contain chocolate may also irritate your stomach. You may want to limit or avoid whole milk and chocolate milk, hot cocoa, high-fat meats such as sausages and spicy cheese such as pepper jack. Alcohol, orange and citrus juices, black and green tea with or without caffeine may also irritate your stomach.

DR BEST provides a complete range of PPI’s and anti-gastric medicines such as DRPAN with Pantoprazole. It is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). It works by decreasing the amount of acid produced by the stomach. EZIMOZ D is a drug combination of Omeprazole and Domperidone. It is a Proton pump inhibitor, used to treat conditions like gastric or duodenal ulcers, erosive esophagitis, GERD and ulcers caused by H. pylori bacteria. DRRAB LSR is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, gastric acidity, indigestion.