Symptoms of Gastritis

Gastritis can be silent, or it can cause a range of upper belly symptoms. Symptoms are not specific, so other conditions such as ulcers, reflux or gallstones can look the same.

Common symptoms

• Burning or gnawing pain in the upper middle belly, which may ease or worsen after eating
• Nausea and sometimes vomiting
• Bloating and a feeling of fullness after small meals
• Belching and loss of appetite
• Indigestion, often worse with spicy food, alcohol or painkillers

Acute and chronic patterns

Acute gastritis starts suddenly and often settles within days once the cause is removed. Chronic gastritis can continue for months or years with mild, on-and-off discomfort, and may be completely silent.

Warning signs that need urgent care

• Black, tarry stools or blood in the stool
• Vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Severe or sudden belly pain
• Repeated vomiting that does not stop
• Fainting, dizziness or a racing heart
• Unexplained weight loss or trouble swallowing

Call 112 or 102 for vomiting blood, black stools with dizziness, or severe pain.

Long-term signs

Autoimmune gastritis can cause tiredness, pallor, tingling in the hands and feet from low vitamin B12 or anaemia.

Key point

Symptoms lasting more than two weeks, or any warning sign, should be checked by a doctor instead of treated with antacids alone.

When to get tested

A doctor may suggest an H. pylori breath or stool test, blood tests for anaemia and vitamin B12, and an endoscopy if you are over 55, have warning signs or symptoms that do not settle.