Why does gastritis hurt

However, many people do need treatment for acute gastritis, with treatment and recovery times depending on the cause of the gastritis. Other treatments, like those used to treat viruses, will involve taking medication to reduce symptoms. There are both over-the-counter and prescription medicines for gastritis.

Often, your doctor will recommend a combination of drugs, including the following:. Antibiotics are only necessary if you have a bacterial infection, such as from H. Common antibiotics used to treat H. The antibiotic may be used in conjunction with a proton pump inhibitor, antacid, or H2 antagonist. Treatment typically lasts between 10 days and four weeks. Your doctor may also recommend that you stop taking any NSAIDS or corticosteroids to see if that relieves your symptoms.

Lifestyle changes may also help reduce your acute gastritis symptoms. Changes that could help include:. According to research originally published in The Original Internist , certain herbs improve digestive health.

They may also help kill H. Some of the herbs used to treat acute gastritis include:. Some herbs may interact with other medications. Your doctor should be aware of any supplements you take. The outlook for acute gastritis depends on the underlying cause. It usually resolves quickly with treatment. However, sometimes treatment fails and it can turn into chronic, or long-term, gastritis. Chronic gastritis also may increase your risk of developing gastric cancer. Gastritis refers to inflammation in the stomach.

If you have indigestion and stomach pain, you can try treating this yourself with changes to your diet and lifestyle as follows:. If you think the cause of your gastritis is repeated use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , try switching to a different painkiller that isn't in the NSAID class, such as paracetamol.

You may want to talk with your GP about this. See the separate leaflet called Indigestion Medication for more information. The tests may show that you have infection with H. See the separate leaflet called Helicobacter Pylori for more details about the treatment for H. If possible, you should stop the anti-inflammatory medicine. This allows the gastritis to heal. You will also normally be prescribed an acid-suppressing medicine for several weeks. This stops the stomach from making acid and allows the gastritis to heal.

However, in many cases the anti-inflammatory medicine is needed to ease symptoms of joint inflammation arthritis or other painful conditions, or aspirin is needed to protect against blood clots.

In these situations, one option is to take an acid-suppressing medicine each day indefinitely. This reduces the amount of acid made by the stomach and greatly reduces the chance of gastritis forming again. Your stomach normally produces acid to help with the digestion of food and to kill germs bacteria. This acid is corrosive, so some cells on the inside lining of the stomach produce a natural mucous barrier.

This protects the lining of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine the duodenum. There is normally a balance between the amount of acid that you make and the mucous defence barrier. Gastritis may develop if there is an alteration in this balance, allowing the acid to damage the lining of the stomach. Infection with H. Once you are infected, unless treated, the infection usually stays for the rest of your life.

See the separate leaflet called Helicobacter Pylori for more information. Many people take an anti-inflammatory medicine for joint inflammation arthritis , muscular pains, etc. These medicines sometimes affect the mucous barrier of the stomach and allow acid to cause an ulcer. About 2 in 10 stomach ulcers are caused by anti-inflammatory medicines. A stressful event - such as a bad injury or critical illness, or major surgery.

Lee also says most people intuitively know when the symptoms warrant a trip to the ER. She recommends calling or going to the emergency room if you experience alarming signs such as:. Gastroenterologists will try to get to the bottom of why you are in so much pain and rule out other concerns like peptic ulcer disease , gallstones , pancreatitis , celiac disease or abnormal cell growth. Sometimes, conservative measures — like avoiding triggers or staying upright for two to three hours after eating — can make a huge difference.

You may need extra testing to figure out what will bring relief. Common gastritis treatments include medications or working with a dietitian to figure out the right eating plan for you.

Lee says only a small percentage progress into serious complications from chronic gastritis. These include different types of gastric cancers, peptic ulcer diseases that cause intestinal perforation , which can then lead to sepsis and possibly death.

In the majority of gastritis cases, with the right combination of treatments and lifestyle modifications , resolve themselves without any severe consequences. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms so you get the right type of evaluation. Chronic gastritis can increase the risk of other gastrointestinal conditions, including stomach ulcers, or peptic ulcers, and bleeding in the stomach. Certain types of gastritis, including autoimmune atrophic gastritis and H.

Autoimmune atrophic gastritis can also affect vitamin B12 absorption, which can lead to anemia. In addition, having H.

In some cases, a doctor can diagnose gastritis with X-rays of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. They might refer to these X-rays as an upper gastrointestinal series or a barium swallow.

If these are inconclusive, the doctor may perform upper endoscopy. This involves inserting a thin, flexible, illuminated tube down through the mouth and throat and into the stomach to perform a visual examination. Although diet and nutrition do not typically cause gastritis, alcohol, food allergies, and some supplements can contribute to it. Making dietary changes is not a main treatment of gastritis, except when gastritis stems from celiac disease or food allergies.

That said, some people find that eating certain foods helps with their symptoms, and doing so may also help the body get rid of H. Eating fewer foods that can irritate the stomach — such as spicy, acidic, or fried foods — may help manage gastritis, as can eating smaller, more frequent meals.

Get some diet tips for gastritis and stomach ulcers here. Combining the right medications with the recommended dietary changes is the surest way to help relieve gastritis. In addition to making dietary changes and trying the above treatment options, some people may also benefit from natural remedies that they can try at home. This could include using probiotics, supplements, and herbal teas. Some people may also find that techniques to reduce stress, such as meditation and yoga , are useful ways to help ease symptoms.

Learn more about natural remedies for gastritis here. Scientists have yet to fully explore the many issues that may cause gastritis. Because some causes remain unknown, it may be impossible to prevent the issue. However, a person can try to reduce their risk by:. Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining, and infection with H.