Gastritis

As stomach ulcers are always preceded by gastritis (or an inflammation of the stomach lining), both conditions are included in this article.

Emergency Symptoms

If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor right away:

• sharp, sudden, persistent stomach pain
• bloody or black stools
• bloody vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds

What are the symptoms of an ulcer?

Many of the symptoms of an ulcer are also symptoms of gastritis (the inflammation of the stomach wall or gastritis, always precedes an ulcer). Abdominal discomfort is the most common symptom. This discomfort usually

• is a dull, gnawing ache
• comes and goes for several days or weeks
• occurs 2 to 3 hours after a meal

Many digestive orders have the same signs and symptoms as gastritis and may be confused with this disorder:

• Gastroenteritis.
  Gastroenteritis is the common viral stomach flu. Signs and symptoms are the same as gastritis, but also includes diarrhea. The stomach flu never lasts longer than 24-48 hours; whereas, gastritis lasts longer.
• Heartburn.
  

Gastritis may be either acute or chronic. The symptoms of acute gastritis are generally the ‘classic’ signs of this disorder: burning pain in upper abdomen and nauses. However, chronic gastritis which develops slowly is described as a dull pain, and a feeling of fullness with only a few bites (resulting in a lack of appetite and weight loss). With some people with chronic gastritis there are no symptoms at all.

Symptoms of Gastritis (i.e. inflammation of the stomach lining)

• Abdominal pain

• Abdominal indigestion

• Dark stools

• Loss of appetite

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Vomiting blood or coffee-ground like material