Gastritis

What is Gastritis?

Provided by Mamas Health...

Gastritis is an inflamation of the stomach. Inflammation of the stomach means that white blood cells move into the wall of the stomach as a response to an injury to the stomach. Gastritis does not mean that there is stomach ulcer or stomach cancer.

What Causes Gastritis?

Gastritis can be caused by infection, irritation, autoimmune disorders, or backflow of bile into the stomach. Infections can be bacterial or viral. Irritation can also be caused by medications. Some of the common medications that may irritate your stomach are: aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs. Other stomach irritants are: alcohol, chronic vomiting, excess gastric acid secretion, and eating poisons.

Gastritis can occur suddenly (acute gastritis) or gradually (chronic gastritis). Some of the disorders associated with gastritis are:

1. stress gastritis
2. Helicobacter pylori gastritis (chronic gastritis)
3. chronic gastritis
4. acute gastritis
5. autoimmune gastritis

What are the Symptoms?

Sometimes there are no symptoms at all. When symptoms are present, some of the most common symptoms are: hiccups, abdominal indigestion, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, vomiting blood or coffee-ground like material, and dark stools.

Can Gastritis be Prevented?

The best way to prevent developing gastritis is to avoid long-term use of irritants, such as aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and alcohol.

How is Gastritis Treated?

Treatment varies from person to person and depends on the specific cause. For most types of gastritis, reduction of stomach acid is helpful. Stomach acid is reduced by medication. Antibiotics are used for infection.

Well..my medication :-

Ranitidine - an overview

Oral ranitidine hydrochloride is a histamine H2 receptor blocker used to treat certain types of ulcers and other conditions in which your stomach is producing too much acid.

It works by blocking histamine from binding to H2 receptors which then inhibits gastric acid secretion.

I have to take this medicine for a month thta go back to see the doctor...