Causes of Gastritis

Gastritis is inflammation or irritation of the stomach lining. It happens when something weakens the protective mucus layer, letting stomach acid damage the lining.

Main causes

• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori): a common stomach bacterium and the leading cause of chronic gastritis. It spreads through contaminated food, water and close contact, and is common in India.
• Painkillers (NSAIDs): ibuprofen, diclofenac, aspirin and similar tablets, especially with regular or long use
• Alcohol: irritates and erodes the lining
• Smoking and tobacco chewing
• Bile reflux: bile flowing back into the stomach, sometimes after stomach surgery
• Autoimmune gastritis: the body attacks its own stomach cells, which can lead to low vitamin B12
• Severe illness or major surgery: physical stress can cause acute gastritis
• Other infections and some medicines: including certain antibiotics and iron tablets

Things that make symptoms worse

Spicy food, very oily meals, irregular eating, coffee, stress and late-night meals do not usually cause gastritis alone, but they can worsen symptoms in many people.

Ayurvedic view

Ayurveda links these symptoms to Amlapitta, an aggravated Pitta with weak digestion. This is an interpretive framework with limited evidence, and it does not replace testing for H. pylori.

Key point

Finding the cause matters, because treatment differs: infection needs antibiotics, and painkiller gastritis needs a change in medicines advised by a doctor.