When is gastritis chronic

Your own body attacking cells in your stomach. Called autoimmune gastritis, this type of gastritis occurs when your body attacks the cells that make up your stomach lining. This reaction can wear away at your stomach's protective barrier. Autoimmune gastritis is more common in people with other autoimmune disorders, including Hashimoto's disease and type 1 diabetes.

Autoimmune gastritis can also be associated with vitamin B deficiency. Left untreated, gastritis may lead to stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding. Rarely, some forms of chronic gastritis may increase your risk of stomach cancer, especially if you have extensive thinning of the stomach lining and changes in the lining's cells.

It's not clear how H. You can take steps to protect yourself from infections, such as H. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Stomach and pyloric valve Open pop-up dialog box Close. Stomach and pyloric valve Your stomach is a muscular sac about the size of a small melon that expands when you eat or drink to hold as much as a gallon about 4 liters of food or liquid. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Overview of gastritis.

Irritants include aspirin or other NSAIDs non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , poisons including strong alcohol and certain infections, including the early stages of infection with the bacterium helicobacter pylori. Usually, the inflammation settles quickly when the irritant is removed. Helicobacter pylori or H. In fact, it is suggested that more than half the world's population has this bacteria, yet never experience any problems.

However, an H. Chronic gastritis usually results from infection with helicobacter pylori or H. In the United States, H. Acute gastritis usually does cause an acute upset stomach, with upper abdominal pain or discomfort as the body tries to get rid of the irritant.

In the vast majority of cases, chronic gastritis causes no symptoms. When the damage to the mucosa is severe and long standing, the stomach loses its ability to produce acid. This may cause digestive upsets. Also lost is the ability to secrete a substance called intrinsic factor, which is necessary for absorption of the important vitamin, B Deficiency of vitamin B12 eventually leads to a condition called pernicious anemia.

The patient presents with:. When acute gastritis symptoms are bad enough to warrant contacting a doctor, a diagnosis is usually able to be made based simply on the story. However, a direct look at the stomach lining via an upper endoscopy examination —also known as an EGD or EsophagoGastroDuodenoscopy — may be necessary when the problem persists, or bleeding occurs.

The inflammatory changes are usually confined to the stomach rather than the first part of the small intestine, referred to as the duodenum. Other tests, such as blood tests, X-rays and scans are usually not necessary for diagnosis unless an alternative condition is suspected during investigation.

Chronic gastritis is diagnosed by examining a specimen biopsy of the stomach mucosa. This is typically taken during an upper endoscopy examination. Additional blood tests and tests for Helicobacter pylori may be required. The most important part of acute gastritis treatment obviously is to remove the irritant when found.

Anti-nausea medications may be needed. Consultation with a physician for further investigations and more sophisticated treatments will be necessary if symptoms do not settle quickly, or if any vomit contains blood. When H.

Most cases settle quickly unless the irritant or infection is not removed. Eliminating any causative infection usually H. Chronic gastritis can lead to a change in the stomach lining known as intestinal metaplasia IM. This is when the cells in the stomach change and become more like the cells in the intestine.

IM is associated with an increased risk of cancer, but the risk still remains low. While treating H. Evidence suggests that removing H. Currently, there is no treatment available that will cure autoimmune chronic gastritis. However, the vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies that it often causes can be treated with supplements, in the form of tablets, shots or intravenous infusions.

Even though autoimmune chronic gastritis cannot be removed by treatment, the risk of developing gastric cancer as a complication of the condition is still modest to low. Nevertheless, a doctor may recommend follow-up endoscopies to detect any early signs of gastric cancer. Treatment on gastric cancer is generally more effective the earlier the condition is detected and treated.

Follow-up endoscopies may be recommended to monitor development of atrophic gastritis and to detect any early signs of gastric cancer which will allow to then treat it as soon as possible with the best possible outcome. Diet does not play a role in causing chronic gastritis , though to ease symptoms, people may find it advisable to stop eating things that irritate the stomach, such as fatty, spicy or highly acidic foods. Some people choose to reduce foods containing lactose or gluten.

Other lifestyle changes that may help include eating smaller, more frequent meals rather than larger meals, weight reduction and stress management.

Over the counter medicines, such as antacids, may ease stomach and digestive symptoms but will not address the underlying problem. Over-the-counter medicines should not be taken often and relied upon. A medical professional should be consulted if symptoms persist for more than a week or are severe. Q: Is there a cure for chronic gastritis?

A: Chronic gastritis caused by H. However, if a person has had chronic gastritis for a long time, some of the damage to the inner stomach lining may be permanent. Q: Is chronic gastritis dangerous? A: Chronic gastritis is itself not dangerous, but can, like acute gastritis, lead to other problems developing, such as ulcers.

Furthermore it can develop into a more serious stage. If chronic gastritis progresses to atrophic gastritis it can additionally increase the risk of developing ulcers, anemia, polyps or non-cancerous tumors, and gastric cancers.

Q: What is chronic antral gastritis? A: Antral gastritis only affects the lower portion of the stomach, known as the antrum rather than the whole organ. Just like gastritis that affects the whole stomach, antral gastritis can either be chronic or acute.

Gastritis caused by H. Q: What is the gastric mucosa? A: The gastric mucosa is the internal lining or mucous membrane of the stomach. It is coated by a thick mucus layer and not only produces the acid to break down food entering the stomach, but also protects the stomach from the acid it creates.

Gastritis happens when the gastric mucosa is inflamed. Q: How long does chronic gastritis last? A: Chronic gastritis, especially the common types due to H. However, if the condition is left untreated, chronic gastritis can affect a person for many months or even years. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. Accessed: May 8, Accessed: October 23, US National Library of Medicine. Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. Pernicious Anaemia Society. Accessed: June 8, Patient Info. Accessed: 8 May, NHS Choices.

Mayo Clinic. Humanitas Research Hospital. BMJ Journals. Accessed: 26 October, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. July,