Gastritis

Inflammation of the stomach lining is gastritis, a condition food safety professionals meet in outbreak investigations and product liability contexts. Causes range from corrosive and irritant ingestion, alcoholic drinks among them, to infection by Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium behind most chronic cases. Sufferers report upper-abdominal pain, nausea and sometimes bleeding, and management means removing the trigger, eradicating the infection and protecting the mucosa. Diet during recovery stays bland while the stomach heals. Endoscopy with biopsy confirms the diagnosis when symptoms persist.