While both involve inflammation, the key difference between gastritis vs. GERD is where that inflammation occurs in your GI tract. Gastritis has to do with inflammation in the stomach while GERD pertains to inflammation in your esophagus.
Gastritis is a condition where the lining of your stomach is inflamed. It can come on suddenly or over time. While it can feel similar to heartburn, it's not the same condition. Gastritis can cause stomach pain and nausea, especially when you eat.
The feeling of acid reflux is heartburn: a mild burning sensation in the mid-chest, often occurring after meals or when lying down. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a more serious form of acid reflux. In GERD, the backflow of stomach acid occurs chronically and causes damage to the body over time.
Upper GI endoscopy
A pathologist will examine the tissue with a microscope. Doctors may use upper GI endoscopy to diagnose gastritis or gastropathy, determine the cause, and manage complications. Your doctor may order an upper GI endoscopy with biopsies to diagnose gastritis and gastropathy.
Symptoms of gastritis
Common symptoms can include: loss of appetite. pain in the upper abdomen just under the ribs.
Acid blockers — also called histamine (H-2) blockers — reduce the amount of acid released into your digestive tract, which relieves gastritis pain and encourages healing. Available by prescription or over the counter, acid blockers include famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet HB) and nizatidine (Axid AR).
Gastritis is a condition that causes inflammation in the stomach lining. Bacterial infections are the most common cause of chronic gastritis. GERD is when a person often and repeatedly has acid reflux or heartburn. GERD is a serious condition that can eventually lead to a person experiencing complications.
Overview. Heartburn is a burning pain in your chest, just behind your breastbone. The pain is often worse after eating, in the evening, or when lying down or bending over. Occasional heartburn is common and no cause for alarm.
If you are experiencing heartburn on a daily basis, it is likely time to be evaluated for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Persistent, untreated GERD may lead to more serious conditions. Sometimes, it can be a precursor to other diseases, including cancer.
If signs and symptoms occur for at least of a week or longer, the inflammation being experienced could indicate gastritis and should be diagnosed by a medical professional. Red flags include: Stomach discomfort that occurs after taking over-the-counter or prescription medications. Vomiting of blood.
Water has a neutral ph. Drinking large amounts of water controls the acid levels of gastric juices, which helps accelerate the healing of gastritis. You should avoid drinking too much water immediately before and after meals, as it can be counterproductive.
Gastritis Treatment Medications
Examples include: Alka-Seltzer, Milk of Magnesia, Gaviscon, Pepto-Bismol and Tums. H2 blockers. This class of drugs blocks the histamine 2 receptor, in the stomach, reducing acid secretion, which is stimulated by food or the neurological system.
Gastritis may co-exist with GERD. H pylori is a common cause for gastritis and H pylori does not cause acid reflux disease. Smoking, stress, and daily use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs, can also cause gastritis without having any effect on acid reflux.
Acute gastritis usually lasts for a short period of time. In most cases, it resolves spontaneously within a few days or weeks once the inflammation has settled. In other cases, however, acute gastritis can lead to recurrent or long-term inflammation of the gastric mucosa, otherwise known as chronic gastritis.
For example, people suffering from GERD tend to also suffer with frequent pain in the upper abdomen. Other symptoms of GERD include regurgitation of sour liquid, coughing, wheezing, and difficulty swallowing. If you are worried you may have GERD then you should seek medical advice.
Seek immediate medical care if you have chest pain, especially if you also have shortness of breath, or jaw or arm pain. These may be signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Make an appointment with your doctor if you: Experience severe or frequent GERD symptoms.
Taking antacids and other drugs (such as proton pump inhibitors or H-2 blockers) to reduce stomach acid. Avoiding hot and spicy foods. For gastritis caused by H. pylori infection, your doctor will prescribe a regimen of several antibiotics plus an acid blocking drug (used for heartburn)
Without treatment, chronic gastritis can last for weeks or even years. Chronic gastritis occurs over a long period of time, so it can gradually wear away at a person's stomach lining. It's important to seek evaluation and treatment for chronic gastritis, because it can lead to complications such as ulcers and bleeding.
Gastritis Can Become a Serious Emergency
Feeling confused or passing out can also indicate blood loss. If there is bright red or maroon blood in the stool, a “tarry” appearance in the stool, or vomiting of blood, this is considered an emergency and may be life-threatening.
You can treat your symptoms with over-the-counter (OTC) medications that soothe irritation and neutralize stomach acid, like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or Pepto Bismol®. These can bring temporary relief while your stomach is healing. You have to make sure that the cause of your gastritis has been eliminated, though.