What Causes Gastritis?

Regular Use Of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatories

An individual who regularly uses nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may develop gastritis as a result. These types of medication disrupt the mechanisms the stomach uses to keep a good balance of acid and mucus. Certain substances in the stomach stop it from producing too much acid so the stomach lining does not become damaged. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are known to stop these substances from being released, causing the individual's stomach to produce too much gastric acid. An excessive amount of gastric acid in the stomach can corrode its lining, cause tissue damage, and produce inflammation that leads to gastritis. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause the blood flow to decrease in the mucosal lining of the individual's stomach, making it more susceptible to erosion since it is not able to effectively regenerate or repair itself without a good supply of blood. Other substances that protect the lining of the stomach called cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 are neutralized by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, allowing for further deterioration of these tissues.

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Older Age

Gastritis is more prevalent among individuals who are in an older age group than it is in individuals in a younger age group. The surfaces in the body that produce mucus tend to wear down as a person ages. This degradation is the cumulative effect of many years of the consumption of acidic food, spicy food, drinking alcohol, smoking, taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and living with medical conditions that affect the integrity of the mucus in the digestive tract. Older individuals are more likely to develop an infection by the helicobacter pylori bacteria than those who are younger. A Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the common causes of gastritis. Autoimmune problems that can cause an individual to develop gastritis are more common among older age groups than younger ones. Older individuals are more likely to experience bile reflux due to the impaired function of other organs associated with digestive processes in the stomach. In addition, individuals who are over fifty years old are more likely to have deficiencies in nutrients imperative for the proper operation of the stomach.

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