Chronic gastritis is a repetitive inflammation of the stomach lining (gastric mucosa) that occurs gradually and persists for at least about 15 to 30 days.  Chronic gastritis can occur typically in those who are under constant stress or history of recurrent gastritis and it is a very common disease among the people today.

The signs and symptoms of Chronic gastritis may include burning pain in upper abdomen, bloating, belching, nausea or vomiting, and loss of appetite and is usually caused by excessive consumption of cold or hot food, alcohol, prolonged use of NSAIDs such as aspirin or ibuprofen, and infection with bacteria.

Causes:
Excessive consumption of alcohol and food
Poor eating habits
Eating foods that are spicy and salty
Smoking
Stress

Symptoms:
Patients with Chronic Gastritis can have no symptoms but the most common symptom is the pain in the upper abdomen that can sometime radiate to the back.  Some other associated symptoms are belching, vomiting, bloating, indigestion, feeling of fullness or burning in the upper abdomen, loss of appetite, weight loss. 

Treatment:
In Oriental Medicine, digestive organs and functions of the digestive system are considered very important part of our body.  The digestive system is associated and can be impaired by excessive cold, hot, dryness, and dampness.  Therefore, proper eating habits and modified lifestyle is advised along with Acupuncture treatment and herbal medicine.

Acute Gastritis is a sudden inflammation of the stomach lining that is mainly cause by excessive drinking of alcohol.  However, they can also be cause by over consumption of greasy or spicy food, stress, eating or drinking corrosive substance, infections, and certain medications. 

Symptoms:
Acute gastritis symptoms occur suddenly and are more likely to cause vomiting, diarrhea, and burning pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen especially upon pressure.  Occasionally, gastritis may cause stomach bleeding and can be found in vomits or stools.

Treatment:
In Oriental medicine, gastritis can be cause by infections, foods, and stress.

It can be successfully treated with acupuncture treatment and herbal medicine without going through comprehensive examination and tests.  In the incident if the symptoms are severe, the patient may need to seen by medical doctor for emergency care before starting the acupuncture treatment and herbal medicine.  Acupuncture can also be used in conjunction with conventional therapies without negative interactions and to prevent reoccurrence.

Indigestion can be caused by variety of factors, but most commonly occurred in people who are under lots of stress and can also occur by eating to much, eating too quickly, or eating during stressful situation.  Sometimes, the mind is referred to as a reflection of our digestive system since the digestive system can be severely impaired by stress.  For example, people who eat meals at irregular times and/or who have poor eating habits will experience bloating and acid regurgitation since their digestive system in impaired. 

Symptoms:
Primary symptoms:  Bloating, fullness, frequent indigestion, nausea, and vomiting
Other symptoms: fullness in the chest, bad breath, belching, weakness in the limbs, palpitation, nervousness, insomnia, fatigue, tiredness.

Treatment:
For patients with indigestion, acupuncture restores and harmonizes the imbalance in the stomach.  Changes in lifestyle and diet modification are often integrated into the acupuncture treatment and herbal medicine in order to correct dietary imbalances and regulate digestion.

Diabetes is a disordered of sugar metabolism in our body resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels and leading to spillage of glucose into the urine.

Glucose comes from the foods you eat and is absorb into the blood stream.  Glucose then enters cells with the help of insulin, which is a hormone that helps glucose enter cells to provide energy and lower the glucose level in the blood.  Subsequently, when the blood glucose elevates, insulin is released from the pancreas to regulate the glucose level in the blood.  However, in absence or insufficient production of insulin, the sugar builds up in the bloodstream instead of being transported into the cells, causing hyperglycemia.

Diabetes in Oriental Medicine
Diabetes in Oriental medicine is referred to as “wasting and thirsting syndrome” since the two primary symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination and thirst.  According to Oriental Medicine, diabetes is not only cause by a problem with pancreas, but problems with other organs such as Liver, gall bladder, stomach, and kidney since the disease causes dryness, heat, and dampness to impair the regulation of water in our body, movement, and digestion.  Therefore, in Oriental medicine, treating the imbalance between both the liver and pancreas is considered primary treatment for diabetes.