What is Gastritis?
Gastritis is the inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It is often signaled by indigestion that can occur with or without bleeding in the digestive tract. Sudden stress, injury, or illness can cause the development of acute gastritis. If you are a nutritionist or studying how to become a nutritionist, this condition can often be alleviated by changing what a client eats.
Certain medications such as aspirin, gastrointestinal disorders, alcoholism, or viral infections can cause chronic inflammation. Most cases of gastroenteritis are caused by the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, which is most often associated with peptic ulcers. This bacterium is able to survive in the acidic human stomach, where many other types of bacteria would normally be destroyed.
Gastritis occurs more often with age. This may be due to the fact that the digestive system becomes weaker with age. The amount of hydrochloric acid that is produced by the body decreases with age and therefore causes the stomach to be less effective at destroying pathogens. People with gastritis often complain of indigestion, nausea, heartburn, and belching. Some people may have no symptoms. This can be very dangerous if the gastritis is caused by the erosion of the stomach lining, which results in bleeding. Aspirin and other medications usually cause stomach bleeding.
People with gastritis should avoid eating certain types of foods. Spicy foods or foods that are highly acidic can irritate the stomach lining and cause discomfort. Fatty foods, tomato-based products, chocolate, caffeinated drinks, decaffeinated teas and coffee, peppermint and alcohol should be restricted or avoided completely. These types of food can relax the valve between the stomach and the esophagus allowing the acidic contents of the stomach to back up into the esophagus. Acid in the esophagus can cause irritation and discomfort known as heartburn.
