Gastritis means that your stomach’s inner lining is inflamed or worn down. Alcoholic gastritis is what people call it if gastritis happens because of
alcohol use. You can take steps to lower your risk, and doctors can help relieve some symptoms quickly. If heavy drinking is the cause of your gastritis, then cutting back or quitting alcohol will be part of the treatment. Gastritis has many possible causes. Just a few of them are eating spicy foods, smoking, stress, diseases that attack your body’s autoimmune system, bacterial or
viral infections, trauma, pernicious anemia (when your stomach has problems handling
vitamin B12), and reactions to surgery. Alcoholic gastritis is caused by drinking too much, too often. The alcohol can gradually irritate and erode your stomach lining. This triggers gastritis symptoms. Gastritis
doesn’t always cause symptoms. If it does, some people assume it’s just indigestion. If you get gastritis from any cause, symptoms may include: Other things can also cause these
symptoms, so check with a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment. Your doctor will give you a physical exam and ask about your health history and personal habits, including how much and how often you drink. That information may be enough for your doctor to diagnose gastritis. But you
may need these tests: Your history and test results help your doctor see if you have gastritis and whether alcohol is a factor. Then the doctor can recommend a treatment plan for
gastritis or another condition.Causes of Alcoholic Gastritis
Alcoholic Gastritis Symptoms
Diagnosing Alcoholic Gastritis
Most of the time, medication and other treatments ease gastritis symptoms quickly. But if your gastritis is related to drinking, quitting or cutting back on alcohol needs to be part of your plan, too. Also, treatment will differ, depending on how
bad your gastritis is as well as your symptoms, age, and general health. Medications often include: In addition to asking you to cut back on alcohol, your doctor may recommend that you avoid spicy foods and acidic beverages like coffee, orange and
tomato juices, and colas. And you may need to cut smoking, aspirin, caffeine, and over-the-counter
pain medications. Your doctor also might suggest eating smaller meals.Alcoholic Gastritis Treatments
Risks of Untreated Alcoholic Gastritis
Untreated gastritis can lead to serious problems. These include:
- Anemia. This can happen if you get ulcers in your stomach and those ulcers bleed.
- Peptic ulcers. These are painful sores in your upper digestive tract.
- Gastric polyps. These are clumps of cells on your stomach lining.
- Stomach tumors that may or may not be cancer
So don’t put off calling your doctor if you notice blood in your feces or vomit, dark or tarry-looking feces, extreme weakness, or unexplained weight loss. If you have gastritis related to alcohol or to any other cause, getting started on treatment right away is the right move.