What is gastritis?
Have you ever had an episode where your stomach feels very painful? Is this condition making it hard for you to do your daily activity as usual? If you do, then you might be suffering from gastritis (gastrik). Gastritis is a medical term that is commonly used to describe stomach ache that is caused by an inflammation towards the stomach lining. This inflammation will weaken and destroy the stomach lining with time, causing it to rupture. When it is broken down, the stomach acid will leak out and cause further destruction to the stomach wall. The usual symptoms would be stomachache, nausea, vomiting, indigestion and also feeling of fullness at the upper stomach especially right after eating. These symptoms will obviously make it uncomfortable for anyone, disrupting their daily activity in the process. People that have gastritis have a higher chance of developing a stomach cancer. However, this risk can be decreased if gastritis is treated early. In order to treat gastritis, we must discover the cause first because the treatment will be based on the cause. So, what is the cause of gastritis? Continue reading the list below to find out about the cause of gastritis.
What is the cause of gastritis?
- Bacterial infection
This is the common cause for gastritis. Most of the people that developed gastritis tend to be caused by a bacterial infection known as the Helicobacter Pylori. This organism is a common bacterium that can be found inside our gastrointestinal system. However, researchers found out that not all people that were infected with this bacterium will develop gastritis. They believe that this condition is affected by lifestyle choices. They also found out that most of the people that smoke and practice unhealthy diets are the most vulnerable to the Helicobacter Pylori infection, thus increasing their chances of getting gastritis.
- Pain reliever medications
Getting a pain reliever medication is always easy nowadays as they are available over the counter and can easily be bought at any nearby pharmacy or local health store. However, pain relievers such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen are actually not good for the stomach. If taken regularly, they can damage the stomach lining and cause it to weaken. This will surely increase the chances of getting gastritis. If you are taking any pain reliever drugs, please do not increase or decrease the dose on your own. You must consult your doctor about any possible side effects before you take the medication.
- Older age
Our body aged with time. This is why older people tend to develop gastritis when compared to the younger generation. When you get older, your stomach lining will weaken on its own. Besides, your body immunity will not be as good as before. This will also increase the likelihood of getting a bacterial infection.
- Excessive alcohol use
We all know that taking an excessive amount of alcohol is not good for our body. It can cause damage to a lot of organs due to its acidic properties. Same goes for the stomach. Alcohol will definitely damage the stomach lining, thus making the digestive juice to leak and cause further damage. It is definitely a good idea to cut down on your drinking habit. Better still, you can choose to stop drinking permanently. If you are having a difficulty with your habit, you can talk to your doctor for their help.
- Medical condition
Some diseases can also cause gastritis. Some of the most common diseases that cause gastritis are sarcoidosis, Crohn’s disease and also autoimmune disease. All of these diseases are known to increase the chances of getting gastrointestinal disorder such as gastritis.