Gastritis and ulcers share symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss, but have different causes and treatments. Gastritis is caused by alcohol, NSAIDs or bacterial infection, while most ulcers are caused by untreated bacterial infections. Diagnosis may require an endoscopy, and treatment varies from antacids to antibiotics and surgery.
Gastritis and ulcers are conditions that affect the stomach and small intestine and share many symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss. There are many differences, though. Gastritis and an ulcer both inflame the stomach lining, but gastritis is general inflammation, and an ulcer is a patch of eroded stomach lining. Although gastritis and an ulcer share symptoms, severe, localized pain is much more common with an ulcer, and an ulcer also carries the risk of bleeding, cancer, and eventual stomach perforation. Doctors use a variety of techniques to diagnose each specific ailment, and treatment methods also vary.
Gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach lining, has three major main causes. The first is excessive alcohol consumption, which erodes the protective lining of the stomach and promotes the secretion of hydrochloric acid. Taking overdoses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen is another common cause, because these pain relievers reduce the stomach’s ability to create prostaglandins, one of the stomach’s lines of defense against ‘hydrochloric acid. The third cause is a bacterial infection of the stomach lining. When bacteria are involved, gastritis can become an ulcer.
Most ulcers in the stomach or duodenum, the first section of the small intestine, are the result of an untreated bacterial infection. Generally, 10% of patients with gastritis will develop an ulcer. Doctors still don’t agree on whether stress plays a role in ulcer development. Ulcers can become a much more serious condition, so some tests are needed for a correct diagnosis.
Although a sample of blood, urine, or stool can diagnose gastritis or an ulcer, similarities between the conditions may prompt patients to undergo an endoscopy. In this procedure, patients are given general anesthesia before a doctor inserts a narrow tube through the esophagus and into the stomach. With a camera at the end of the tube, a doctor inspects the stomach lining and duodenum. An advantage of the procedure is that if a doctor finds a suspicious-looking ulcer, he or she can immediately biopsy it for cancer. Although the patient is unconscious, an endoscopy carries little risk and is the most reliable diagnostic tool.
After a doctor determines between gastritis and ulcers, treatment may vary. With gastritis, simple antacids might cause permanent relief. In severe cases, a doctor will prescribe medications that reduce stomach acid production. These drugs are known as proton pump inhibitors. In addition to following a prescription, patients should also avoid alcohol and NSAIDs.
Antacids are another common treatment for mild ulcers. In severe cases, a patient will take antibiotics to treat the infection that has caused the ulcer. For most patients, antibiotics lead to a full recovery. If the ulcer is bleeding or has perforated the stomach, doctors will perform endoscopic surgery to correct the condition.
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