The stomach is on fire…

Gastritis is not one single disease … rather it's an umbrella term which encompasses different conditions which have inflammation of the stomach.

Inflammation means the response of the body tissue to any kind of irritation or injury. For e.g. if you scratch your arm with your nail (with some pressure), the skin in that area would turn red, swollen, warm and tender. This response is termed as inflammation.

When the lining of the stomach faces any kind of irritant or injury, it responds in a similar fashion and the resultant condition is gastritis. Gastritis may not be serious for most people but it can develop into a serious condition if neglected. Hence prompt treatment is warranted in any and all cases.

The condition can have an acute onset due to some peculiar triggering factors. However, in a large number of cases, it tends to run a chronic course with periods of ups and downs in terms of symptoms.