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	Gastritis
	Definition
	Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Not a distinctive disease, gastritis can be a result of many diseases or merely a condition whose underlying cause is elusive.
	Cause
	Acute attacks of gastritis can be brought on by: Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Drugs (such as aspirin or some antibiotics). Ingestion of corrosive substances. Shock Allergic response. Trauma from surgery. Alcohol abuse. See also: 'Effects of Alcohol Abuse'
	Diagnosis
	Gastritis symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and/or bleeding and pain similar to gastric ulcer symptoms. Many patients, however, just suffer general discomfort. Gastritis is often diagnosed by viewing the stomach interior through an endoscope and examining a biopsied tissue sample. Tissue examination may show swelling, ulcerated areas, and destruction of portions of the lining. Alternatively, there may be tissue shrinkage, a condition called atrophic gastritis. In hypertrophic gastritis a rare form of the condition the stomach lining and glands overgrow. Special stains can reveal the presence of H. pylori organisms.
	Treatment
	Treatment depends upon the underlying cause of gastritis. Specific foods or medications such as alcohol or aspirin that cause irritation should be avoided. In some cases treatment of gastritis is similar to that of ulcers: antacid therapy, omeprazole, sucralfate, cimetidine, or ranitidine. The optimal regimen for eradicating H. pylori bacteria is not yet clear, but success has been achieved using a combination of two antibiotics (tetracycline or amoxicillin plus Flagyl) plus bismuth subsalicylate. Use of a single antibiotic combined with omeprazole is being investigated.