What is the difference between gastritis and acid reflux

There are several causes of gastritis. There are also less common causes of gastritis. These include:. Gastritis can occur suddenly acute gastritis or gradually chronic gastritis. There are several tests that may be used to diagnose gastritis. These are the three main ones:.

Stomach acid irritates the inflamed tissues of the stomach. Treatment usually involves taking drugs to reduce stomach acid, which can help relieve symptoms and promote healing. Antacids or other medications, such as Pepcid famotidine , which decrease or neutralize gastric acid in the stomach, or proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec , will usually eliminate the symptoms and promote healing. Gastritis caused by pernicious anemia is treated with vitamin B You may also be encouraged to avoid certain foods, beverages, or medicines.

If your gastritis is caused by an infection, that problem may be treated as well. For example, the healthcare provider might prescribe antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors to clear up H. Once the underlying problem disappears, gastritis usually does too. Talk to your healthcare provider before stopping any medicine or starting any gastritis treatment on your own.

If gastritis isn't treated, it may lead to stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding. Some forms of chronic gastritis may increase your risk of stomach cancer. Eating, diet, and nutrition do not play a role in causing or preventing gastritis, according to researchers. But as you are healing and taking medication to reduce stomach acid, you may want to avoid foods that can increase stomach acid production.

There are several foods and beverages that can trigger your heartburn, and increase acid production. You may want to avoid these and consume foods that can decrease heartburn and acid production. Several lifestyle modifications can help you manage the symptoms of gastritis:. Get nutrition tips and advice to make healthy eating easier. Updated August Your Privacy Rights. Your physician may use a breath, stool or blood test to determine if you have contracted the Helicobacter pylori bacterium.

To examine your stomach lining and entire upper digestive system for abnormalities your physician will likely use an endoscopy exam. In other situations your physician may recommend an x-ray exam with a barium swallow, which assists in the evaluation of the upper gastrointestinal series.

The x-ray exam is entirely non-invasive and allows your physician to evaluate images of your esophagus, stomach and small intestine for abnormalities. Gastritis is often successfully treated with medications that help your stomach to heal by reducing the presence of acid reflux, like antacids, H-2 histamine blockers, or proton pump inhibitors.

If your Gastritis developed due to the Helicobacter pylori bacterium than your physician will likely recommend antibiotics. Call us at: 1 Common medical conditions that lead to Gastritis include: Autoimmune disorders Acid reflux Peptic ulcers Gastritis either onsets suddenly and is called acute Gastritis, or sets in gradually and is known as chronic Gastritis. If you have any questions or concerns regarding Gastritis, please contact us to schedule an appointment.

After you swallow food, it makes its way down the esophagus and into the stomach, where a ring of muscle, called the lower esophageal sphincter LES , closes to keep the food in. Symptoms include:. You can generally avoid occasional bouts of heartburn with some lifestyle modifications. Your doctor will likely suggest you try to treat heartburn by making the following lifestyle changes before medication comes into play. But the symptoms are the same as those of acid reflux, such as the burning feeling in your chest and the sensation that your stomach contents are in your throat.

You may also have a dry cough or trouble swallowing. Diagnosing the condition can usually be done by a primary care doctor or gastroenterologist by simply evaluating symptom frequency and severity.

Knowing how often reflux occurs is another way beyond symptoms to confirm a diagnosis. PPIs work to decrease the amount of acid your stomach produces. Other drugs called H2 blockers , such as Zantac ranitidine or Pepcid famotidine may also be tried and are effective, says Hagan. H2 blockers also lower stomach acid production, and are available over the counter.