Cigarette smoking
It promotes inflammation and causes direct injury to the stomach wall.
- Severe psychological stress
Stress can decrease our gastric motility due to an inhibition of the parasympathetic nervous system. Accummulation and release of acid lead to inflammation.
- Delayed gastric emptying
The more time acid stays in the stomach, the higher the risk of having the mucosa affected by the acid.
- Irregularity in eating habits
The diurnal secretion of gastric acid can become disturbed, and when food is not taken on time, the acid accumulates and destroys the gastric mucosa.
- Dietary habits
Eating spicy food can trigger or aggravate acute gastritis symptoms. Caffeine can also cause gastritis because it increases the sympathetic nervous system, which causes a decrease in the blood flow to the stomach. Cold drinks that contain carbon dioxide, which is an acidic compound, can cause gastritis symptoms.
On the other hand, chronic gastritis is caused by the following health problems:
- Helicobacter pylori infection
When this bacteria remains in the stomach for very long, it causes chronic gastritis. It may lead to various complications, including stomach cancer.
- Autoimmune gastritis
It is a condition where antibodies are produced against the parietal cells of the gastric wall. Parietal cells are responsible for creating the intrinsic factor and hydrochloric acid. It is the most common cause of atrophic gastritis.
- Sarcoidosis
It can lead to granulomatous gastritis.
- Idiopathic gastritis
It is also known as Menetrier’s disease, where the cause of chronic gastritis is unknown.