My mother died at only 60 years old. When the doctors performed an autopsy on her, they reported that she suffered from severe gastritis and bleeding from the stomach and small intestine. In ten years of medical care, no one had bothered to check her stomach for damage.
My mother died as a result of sepsis: an infection developed in her psoas muscle, ruptured, allowing infectious bacteria to enter her brain. It is quite clear to me that the infectious organisms that caused the sepsis entered her circulation through her damaged stomach and intestine.
This is a serious topic!
Gastritis simply means “inflammation of the stomach.” H. pylori infection is the main, but not the only, cause of gastritis.
In fact, any word that ends in ‘itis’ means inflammation. For example, colitis is inflammation of the colon, arthritis is inflammation of the joints, uveitis is inflammation of the eyes.
Most of the pain that people experience is caused by inflammation. If the tissues in your body are inflamed, you will tend to feel pain there.
However, inflammation does not always cause pain and this is one of the most important lessons you can learn regarding your health because “silent” inflammation is the cause of most diseases that afflict the western population.
Long-term chronic inflammation can lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, IBS, autoimmune diseases, and many other disease processes. These diseases do not appear overnight, they are the result of a long-term process.
H pylori, gastritis and stomach pain
H pylori infection always causes inflammation. This inflammation is generally located in the stomach and small intestine, where it is known as gastritis and duodenitis, respectively.
In some people, gastritis and duodenitis will cause them to consciously experience pain, but other people will not feel this pain. This is similar to the situation with celiac disease, where some people feel extreme pain from eating gluten, while others feel no discomfort at all, even though gluten causes a lot of inflammation in the gut.
Individual differences in the way we react to H. pylori infection, as well as the specific strain of H. pylori involved, appear to be the main reasons why some people develop stomach pain, heartburn, and other uncomfortable symptoms. while others don’t.
The most common symptom of gastritis is a burning pain that occurs between the breastbone and the navel. The bread can get worse or better with food.
Nausea, loss of appetite, bloating, and other common digestive symptoms can also be signs of gastritis. Severe gastritis can cause stomach ulcers or bleeding, both of which must be treated by a medical professional.
If you have severe pain, burning, nausea, vomiting, especially if you vomit blood or coffee-like granules, or if your stools are unusually dark, seek medical attention immediately, as you may have bleeding in your stomach or intestines.
Three main causes of gastritis
There are three main causes of gastritis:
First, H. pylori infection is believed to be the main cause of gastritis.
Second, NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naxoprene (Aleve, Naprosyn) are used to treat pain syndromes like arthritis and headaches. They are available over the counter, without a prescription.
They work by decreasing the formation of some of the body’s pain-signaling chemicals, known as prostaglandins. Gastritis and stomach bleeding are known to be side effects of NSAID use. For example, one study found that the use of one adult aspirin per day triples a person’s risk of being hospitalized for major gastrointestinal bleeding.
Third, various dietary and lifestyle factors can cause or contribute to the development of gastritis. Here are some of those factors:
• Alcohol use (alcohol is a major irritant to the GI tract)
• Smoking cigarettes
• Dehydration
• Eating smoked, pickled, and processed foods (eg, bacon, salami, pickles, vinegar). Processed meats that contain nitrates and nitrites as preservatives are especially problematic.
• Spicy foods like chili
• Greasy foods that contain processed vegetable oils
• Eating foods that contain gluten (wheat, rye and barley)
• Cow’s milk products, especially when pasteurized
• Sugar consumption
• Coffee consumption
• Food allergies: Common triggers include cow’s milk, wheat, corn, yeast, nuts, and eggs.
• Stress (yes, stress has been shown to directly cause inflammation)
Overcoming Gastritis
Overcoming gastritis is not difficult. If you have digestive pain above the belly button, you most likely have gastritis.
So first, compare your lifestyle to the factors listed above and correct any of these that you need to correct. Cut out problem foods, stop smoking, and talk to your doctor about whether you need NSAIDs.
If this doesn’t relieve your symptoms, be sure to get tested for H pylori. You can get a test from your doctor. We recommend two tests: a stool antigen test and a urea breath test.
If H pylori is detected in your tests, you should take steps to eradicate the infection using triple therapy antibiotics or a well designed herbal protocol like the one I used when I had H pylori.
Once H. pylori has been successfully eradicated, substances that are helpful in healing a damaged stomach and intestinal lining include DGL, zinc-l-carnosine, l-glutamine, cysteine or n-acetylcysteine, gamma-oryzanol, colostrum and probiotics.
If you have very severe symptoms, I recommend that you request an endoscopy from your doctor or specialist. The endoscopy procedure can help you identify how severe your gastritis is. It can also determine if you have developed stomach or peptic ulcers, Barrett’s esophagus, atrophic gastritis, and other conditions, including cancer. A biopsy may also be taken during the endoscopy procedure to identify H. pylori infection.
Do not underestimate the messages of your body. If you have pain in your digestive system, it means that something is wrong. H pylori can cause stomach cancer if left untreated. So what starts as a simple gastritis can end up causing very serious problems.
Please don’t risk it. Change your diet and lifestyle habits, and if this does not relieve you, seek immediate medical attention.
