H. pylori infection

Gastritis

If you have gastritis, it means that part of the lining of your stomach has become irritated or slightly damaged (doctors call this inflammation).

Usually you have gastritis when your stomach has been damaged by acid. Your stomach makes acid to break down the food you eat. But in some people, the acid can damage the lining of their stomach.

Source:
Sipponem P.
Natural history of gastritis and its relationship to peptic ulcer disease.
Digestion. 1992; 51 (supplement 1): S70-S75.

Many people with mild gastritis don't get any symptoms. But if you have more severe gastritis, your symptoms will depend on which part of your stomach is affected.

Source:
McColl KEL, El-Omar E, Gillen D.
Helicobacter pylori gastritis and gastric physiology.
Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 2000; 29: 687-703.

If the lower part of your stomach is affected:

Your stomach starts making too much acid. This can make your gastritis worse, and it may cause a duodenal ulcer. (Your duodenum is the part of your gut just under your stomach.)

If the upper part of your stomach is affected:

You may get a stomach ulcer
The lining of your stomach may stop working properly. Doctors call this gastric atrophy. When this happens, your stomach doesn't make enough acid or

enzymes
Enzymes are chemicals in your body. They have lots of different functions, including playing a part in helping to digest food and starting other chemical reactions that keep the body working.

enzymes to break down the food you eat. This may lead to stomach cancer.

More than 8 in 10 people with long-term gastritis have H. pylori.

Source:
Sipponem P.
Natural history of gastritis and its relationship to peptic ulcer disease.
Digestion. 1992; 51 (supplement 1): S70-S75.

Sources for the information on this page:

Sipponem P.Natural history of gastritis and its relationship to peptic ulcer disease.Digestion. 1992; 51 (supplement 1): S70-S75.

McColl KEL, El-Omar E, Gillen D.Helicobacter pylori gastritis and gastric physiology.Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 2000; 29: 687-703.

This information was last updated on Nov 10, 2009

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