Diagnosing Gastritis

Gastritis is diagnosed through one or more medical tests:

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
an endoscopy is usually done as a last resort, or if the physician suspects ulcers. Biopsies may also be done at the same time as the endoscopy procedure to evaluate for H. Pylori, or cancer.

The doctor eases an endoscope, a thin tube containing a tiny camera, through your mouth (or occasionally nose) and down into your stomach to look at the stomach lining. The doctor will check for inflammation and may remove a tiny sample of tissue for tests. This procedure to remove a tissue sample is called a biopsy.

Blood test.

The doctor may check your red blood cell count to see whether you have anemia, which means that you do not have enough red blood cells. Anemia can be caused by bleeding from the stomach.

Tests for B12 level are requested specifically. As any type of chronic gastritis may indicate a shrunken stomach, the intrinsic factor may not be secreted in adequate amounts to produce vitamin B12. All organs are affected by a lack of B12, or pernicious anemia, but particularly the nervous system. The results are permanent and irreversible of nervous system damage as a result of B12 deficiency.

Additionally, blood tests may reveal the H. Pylori antibody which causes gastritis/ulcers. However, this does not mean you have h. Pylori, it means you were exposed at one time in your life or another.

Breath test.

The breath test will evaluate if a person is currently infected with the H. pylori bacteria which causes gastritis and ulcers.

Stool test.

This test checks for the presence of blood in your stool, a sign of bleeding. Stool test may also be used to detect the presence of H. pylori in the digestive tract.