According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, there are some patterns of syndrome that lead to atrophic gastritis.
1. Pattern of Spleen and Stomach Deficiency
2. Pattern of Stagnation of Liver and Stomach Qi
3. Pattern of Damp-heat of Spleen and Stomach
4. Pattern of Deficiency of Stomach Yin
5. Pattern of Stagnation of Stomach Meridians

Our TCM clinical practice has showed that integration of Chinese medicine and western medicine is a very good choice for this disease. When treating atrophic gastritis, Chinese doctors will take everything into consideration, including the following conditons.

1. Bacterial infections: Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that commonly infects the stomach and is considered to be the main cause of this indigestion problem. H. pylori can damage the mucosa lining by penetrating through the stomach's inner protective coating. A point to note that suffering from this infection just once, might not lead to this stomach problem.

2. Attack of Antibodies: Antibodies present in our body are necessary to fight against fungal and bacterial infections. However, when these antibodies attack the stomach lining, the stomach's protective shield can be damaged.

3. Pain Relievers: Using painkillers regularly can lead to this stomach ailment. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen and aspirin, when used often can indeed have a negative impact on the mucosa lining. The mucosa lining is likely to get damaged and inflamed with too much use of painkillers.

4. Alcohol Abuse: Gradual onset of gastritis has also been attributed to alcohol abuse. Too much intake of alcohol on a daily basis may not go too well with the mucosa lining. Initially, it may respond with chronic inflammation and with no check on alcohol consumption, the mucosa lining may soon get eroded.