8 main symptoms of gastritis (with online test)

The most common symptoms of gastritis are stomach pain, feeling of a swollen and painful belly, loss of appetite, frequent burping, nausea, feeling of a very full stomach and general malaise.

Gastritis happens when the stomach lining is inflamed due to excessive alcohol use, chronic stress, use of anti-inflammatories or any other cause that affects the functioning of the stomach. Understand better what gastritis is and why it happens.

Learn more about the symptoms of gastritis in the following video:

Gastritis symptoms

The main symptoms of gastritis are:

1. Stitch-shaped stomach pain;
2. Swollen and painful belly;
3. Headache and general malaise;
4. Frequent burping;
5. Loss of appetite;
6. Vomiting;
7. Feeling of a very full stomach;
8. Nausea.

These symptoms may appear suddenly or worsen over time, being more common after consuming spicy or fatty foods, after drinking alcoholic beverages or in situations of stress or anxiety.

Therefore, it is important that they are evaluated by a gastroenterologist so that the cause can be identified and the most appropriate treatment can be initiated.

How to know if it is gastritis

To find out your risk of having gastritis, select the symptoms you present in the following test:

The symptom test is a guidance tool and does not serve as a diagnosis or replace consultation with a gastroenterologist or general practitioner.

How to confirm if it is gastritis

Although the diagnosis of gastritis can be made based on the symptoms the person presents, the gastroenterologist may order an exam called digestive endoscopy, which serves to visualize the internal walls of the stomach and whether the bacteria H. pylori is present, as this bacteria is associated with most cases of gastritis.

To confirm the presence of H. pylori, during endoscopy the doctor can perform the urease test, which consists of taking a small sample from the stomach, which is placed in a tube containing urea and a pH indicator. If a change in the color of the tube from yellow to pink is observed, the test is said to be positive, indicating infection by H. pylori. Find out more about the urease test.

What to do

To alleviate the symptoms of gastritis and prevent the formation of stomach ulcers, it is important to avoid consuming fatty and spicy foods, as they can cause irritation to the stomach lining and lead to the appearance of gastritis symptoms. Furthermore, it is essential to follow the recommendations of the gastroenterologist, who may recommend the use of medications that inhibit acid production, antacids or antibiotics. Understand how gastritis is treated.

See also, in the following video, what you should eat to alleviate the symptoms of gastritis and prevent new attacks: