What are symptoms and treatments for gastritis?
Gastritis is an inflammation, or irritation of the lining of the stomach leading to symptoms such as a burning sensation or pain in the stomach area, nausea, vomiting and indigestion. Black, tarry stool or blood in your vomit can indicate significant gastric bleeding along with gastritis. Since gastritis has many causes, it is important to have a workup from a physician so you know which treatment will be effective. Some of the tests a doctor may order include an endoscopy, blood tests, or a fecal occult blood test.
What are common causes of stomach pain?
Stomach pain can have multiple causes, some of them serious. Ongoing or severe stomach pain should be evaluated by a physician. Gas is a common cause of stomach pain that is usually self-resolving, but an ulcer needs medical attention and can put someone at risk for GI bleeds or rupture of the stomach lining. Other common causes of stomach pain include reflux, food poisoning, a stomach virus, food allergies, hiatal hernia or irritation of the gastric lining. Keep in mind that pain can also refer to the stomach area from other locations in the body, making it difficult to say for certain that the pain has a gastric origin.
What are tips for relieving stomach pain?
If your stomach pain is due to gas and bloating, eating smaller meals at a slower pace and following a FODMAP diet may provide some relief. Taking digestive enzymes can also assist with breaking down food before it can be fermented by the bacteria in our gut, leading to gas production. Stomach pain that is related to gastric reflux may benefit from the soothing effect of deglycyrrhizinated licorice. Discomfort related to an irritated gastric lining may respond to a combination of zinc L-carnosine and Lactobacillus reuteri. Of course, there are many causes of stomach pain, so it is important to be evaluated by a physician.
