What is Gastritis?
Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. It is evidenced by anorexia (loss of appetite), nausea, vomiting, belching, a feeling of fullness, and/or stomach pain.

What are the causes? How can I alleviate my symptoms?
Acute gastritis is most often caused by ingesting aspirin or other drugs that irritate the stomach lining. Other causes of gastritis include alcohol use, food allergies, food poisoning, stress, and infections.

Diet modifications may help relieve some symptoms of gastritis. If nausea and vomiting are present, follow recommendations as listed in that section. As diet is progressed, avoid foods which cause distress. There is little agreement as to which foods actually are gastric irritants. These are somewhat variable among individuals but usually include alcohol, black pepper, chili powder, and caffeine-containing foods and beverages (coffee, tea, cola).

Chronic gastritis has no known cause and finding the appropriate diet may be a matter of trial and error. The advice of a physician, nurse practitioner, or dietitian is recommended in all cases where loss of appetite or other symptoms persist for more than 24 hours.