Gastritis (Treatment)

How to treat gastritis?

The treatment of gastritis consists of three main goals:

1. Avoiding the substances or factors leading to gastritis:

• Avoiding frequent use of painkillers like NSAID’s. Taking medicines that protects your stomach or reduces acid production along with NSAID’s. Switching to alternative medicines for NSAID’s.

• Avoiding or reducing the amount of alcohol.

• Avoiding food that can irritate stomach lining- spicy, fried and acidic food. Taking small and frequent meals that’s not harsh on stomach could help people.

• Avoiding too much of mental stress or stressful routine

2. Blocking, reducing or neutralizing the acid production in stomach giving time to heal the stomach lining:
This can be done by following medicines:

Proton pump inhibitors: these medicines acts in acid producing cells in the stomach blocking the production of the acid. eg:pantoprazole omeprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole etc. Long term use especially at high dose can cause increase the risk of hip, spine or wrist fractures.

Histamine (H2) blockers: reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach lining. eg: ranitidine, famotidine, cimetidine etc.

Antacids: they neutralizes the acid in the stomach providing pain relief and protecting the lining from further damage. Side effects can be constipation or diarrhea.

Surface agents: the medicines that coats the inner lining of the stomach protecting it from the acid.

3. Killing H. Pylori bacteria using antibiotics: this is done by using combination of antibiotics like clarithromycin and metronidazole or amoxicillin. This has to be taken for 7- 14 days as prescribed by the doctor.

Shop for photo pump inhibitor

H2 blockers

How to prevent gastritis?

Avoiding the substances or factors leading to gastritis:

• Avoiding frequent use of painkillers like NSAIDs. Taking medicines that protects your stomach or reduces acid production along with NSAID’s. Switching to alternative medicines for NSAIDs.

• Avoiding or reducing the amount of alcohol.

• Avoiding taking medicines (NSAIDs), alcohol and other irritants empty stomach.

• Avoiding food that can irritate stomach lining- spicy, fried and acidic food. Taking small and frequent meals that’s not harsh on stomach could help people.

• Avoiding too much of mental stress or stressful routine

Preventing H. pylori infection: the spread of H. pylori infection is not clear. It is thought that it could spread from person to person or through contaminated food and water. Properly washing hands with soap and water and eating properly cooked food might help in getting infected. However, H pylori infection is very common and not all people develop gastritis or any other complication.

Is there a difference between gastritis and gastroenteritis?

As the name suggests gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining while gastroenteritis is the inflammation of the stomach and bowel, usually caused by an infection.

Read More: Gastritis – Causes, Signs, and Symptoms