What triggers gastritis?

Have you ever experienced a burning sensation in your upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting or even loss of appetite? Well, that could be gastritis. But what triggers gastritis? Here are some possible answers to that question:

Alcohol

Ah yes… the notorious party monster is up to no good again! Alcohol consumption is one of the major culprits for triggering gastritis. Not only does it increase stomach acid production which irritates the stomach lining but also weakens it against other external factors.

Medications

While medications may help cure certain diseases, they might trigger others like gastritis if not taken as prescribed by a physician. Using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids can lead to irritation in the lining of the stomach leading to inflammation.

Bacterial Infection

Now who would’ve thought Helicobacter pylori was a real bully in our tummy playground! This highly contagious bacteria spreads through contaminated food & water sources causing severe inflammation or erosions on gastric walls. It tends to affect 50% – 70% of people globally (1)and has been identified as the primary cause of peptic ulcers and possibly gastric cancer according to some studies (2) .

Stress

If you feel like life has become too overwhelming recently, then stress may be another culprit capable of irritating your stomach lining resulting in acute or chronic infection depending on its magnitude and duration.

How do we know when it’s acute or chronic Gastritis?

We know something isn’t right with us when we experience an episode for less than three months; this is classified as “acute” gastritis vs “chronic” if symptoms persist over more extended periods(upwards from six months).

On average though,symptoms tend not always vary regardless, ranging from abdominal pain(burning/aching), indigestion, nausea/vomiting, feeling full/ bloated after a meal or even loss of appetite.

Smoking

This won’t come as music to the ears for nicotine-stressed smokers out there. Cigarette smoke does no good and can exacerbate gastritis symptoms by weakening stomach walls against external agents like alcohol (3).

Autoimmune diseases

It’s not uncommon for our immune system with all its well-meaning intentions turn on us once in a while. Suppose your body experiences an autoimmune attack in the stomach lining causing chronic inflammation; congratulations! You may have what is known as autoimmune atrophic gastritis that results from vitamin B12 deficiency (4).

Spicy foods

Though it pains me to say this since I love my spicy food, consuming excessively spicy meals can aggravate gastritis symptoms (5) making one feel so uncomfortable.

Should you stop taking spices then?

Thankfully not everyone needs to give up their favorite guilty pleasures when battling Gastritis caused by spicy foods since it varies from person-to-person hinging on dietary patterns and lifestyle habits.

However,it might help reduce how much spice we partake daily,a chance leaving room for less fiery alternatives/habits . Alternating cuisine tastes too could also help gradually tame the tongue heat;which genre are speaking ’bout?Italian,African,French,Mexican.. ?

Conclusion

In conclusion,we now know what triggers Gastritis thanks to this brief but informative article. We learned that alcoholic beverages like beer don’t always sing praises but rather off-key tunes alongside cigarette smoke , medication misuse / abuse, microbial infections such Helicobacter pylori bacteria carries dangerous stings behind its appearance at parties uninvited seeking attention & admiration ,emotional stress could be next gang leader targeting more-so those lightweight subjects tag-teaming with other culprits altogether.

But do kindly note that Gastritis symptoms can manifest uniquely like a fingerprint from individual to individual. Thus, one big takeaway is always to seek medical help when experiencing such symptoms, avoid self-prescription or avoiding physicians altogether as this often leads to misdiagnosis or ignoring early warning signs (6).

Yet on the other hand too ,some remedies might alleviate gastritis; These could be including taking sips of ginger (not biting raw root) better cooled in hot water accompanied with honey added since it has anti-inflammatory elements (7 ), Yoghurt eaten with fruits smoothen some stomach irritation while we’ve even learnt through research data linking green tea daily consumption linkay acid levels significantly down (8) but keep in mind variety isn’t monotonous spice but a balance between diets consumed too helps ensure proper nutrient uptake essential for great gut ‘feels’.