The causes of acute gastritis

Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 03, 2024
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Acute gastritis is one of the common upper gastrointestinal diseases. The condition tends to be severe and more serious than typical gastritis, usually presenting with symptoms such as sudden onset, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, acid reflux, and vomiting. The primary causes may include exposure to cold or food irritants, such as raw, spicy foods, or alcohol. Additionally, other factors can also lead to acute gastritis or acute gastric mucosal lesions, such as the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, or corticosteroid medications such as dexamethasone or prednisone. (Specific medication use should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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What is acute gastritis?

Acute gastritis is caused by various reasons leading to acute inflammation of the gastric mucosa, primarily due to stress, medications, infections in the stomach, and bile reflux. The main symptoms include upper abdominal pain, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, often with enteritis causing diarrhea, bloody stool, and signs of dehydration. The treatment for acute gastritis is mainly symptomatic, with timely fluid replenishment through intravenous hydration. Additionally, bed rest is recommended, along with cessation of all gastric irritants in food or medications, and fasting if necessary. For abdominal pain, local heat application or the use of antispasmodic analgesics can be considered; generally, anti-infection treatment is not required.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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How long does acute gastritis require hospitalization?

Acute gastritis usually has a sudden onset and relatively severe symptoms. It can include upper abdominal pain, acid reflux, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and even an inability to eat. This condition is most often caused by poor diet, such as excessive drinking, spicy and irritating foods, etc., and can also be induced by medication, such as non-steroidal drugs or hormonal drugs. The duration of hospital treatment depends on the specific situation. If the patient's general condition is acceptable and they can eat, recovery typically takes about three to five days. Therefore, the duration is not usually very long. However, in some cases, such as drug-induced acute gastric mucosal lesions, which are relatively severe and can involve bleeding, treatment with medications usually requires at least a week or more.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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What to do if acute gastritis flares up?

Active medication is required for the recurrence of acute gastritis. The current treatment principles involve the use of medications that suppress gastric acid secretion and protect the gastric mucosa. Medications that suppress gastric acid secretion mainly include proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists. Additionally, it is important to check for Helicobacter pylori infection. If this bacterium is present, one can choose triple therapy to eradicate it or opt for traditional Chinese medicines, which are effective in regulating the spleen and stomach. For those with obvious stomach pain, antispasmodic analgesics should be used. Regular care is also particularly important, including consuming soft, easily digestible foods and avoiding spicy, stimulating, and greasy foods, especially strong tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor)

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Is acute gastritis dangerous?

Acute gastritis comes in many forms, and acute erosive hemorrhagic gastritis is relatively dangerous as it can lead to gastric mucosal bleeding and perforation, resulting in the risk of hemorrhagic shock. Therefore, active treatment of acute gastritis is needed. It is recommended to visit the gastroenterology department of a hospital to undergo a gastroscopy to understand the basic pathological changes of the gastritis. Additionally, some medications can be used for treatment, such as those that inhibit gastric acid secretion, protect the gastric mucosa, and sensitive antibiotics. Pay attention to dietary adjustments, consume lighter foods more often, and reduce the intake of spicy foods. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Where to massage for acute gastritis?

For some cases of acute gastritis, where the pain can be quite severe, our best method is to massage our Neiguan point to alleviate clinical symptoms. The Neiguan point is located on the inner side of our upper limbs and is convenient to massage. In addition to using bare hands, we can also place a slice of ginger and massage through the ginger. Besides massaging the Neiguan point, if it's self-massage, we can also massage our Zhongwan point. The Zhongwan point is located on our abdomen, halfway between the xiphoid process and the navel, a spot that is easy to locate. We can also massage some other points like Tianshu, Zusanli, and Gongsun. After the massage, we can relieve some clinical symptoms of acute gastritis such as abdominal distension and pain.