Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric wall that can take an acute or chronic course depending on the triggering cause. Although there are different variants, symptomatic gastritis is always associated with heartburn and dyspepsia. Alongside these extremely recurrent symptoms, the clinical picture of gastritis is completed by: aerophagia, loss of appetite, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, tarry stools, meteorism, halitosis and vomiting (even bloody).
- Common acute gastritis is often due to alcohol abuse, NSAIDs, irritant and hyperlipidic foods or indigestion. Less frequently, acute gastritis is the consequence of trauma, burns, hypovolemia or intake of irritating chemicals.
- Chronic gastritis, on the other hand, is more often explained by Helicobacter pylori infections.
What to do
- Correct any incorrect dietary behavior by adopting a healthy and balanced diet; this is the first and most important remedy to put into practice in the case of common acute gastritis
- Chew slowly
- Extend your meals into lots of snacks
- Limit the intake of NSAIDs as much as possible. If it is not possible to suspend the therapy, associate - on medical advice - a gastroprotective drug
- In case of stress, take yoga and pilates courses to remove tension. Recall that stress can also negatively affect health, accentuating gastric heartburn
- Dedicate yourself to a sport practice
- Contact your doctor immediately if you experience vomiting or bloody stools associated with gastritis
- In the case of gastritis dependent on H. pylori, start as soon as possible an antibiotic therapy combined with gastroprotective drugs and / or proton pump inhibitors (triple / quadruple therapy). The therapy must be prescribed by the doctor.
- Eat fruit away from meals because it can create gastric bloating
- Always have lunch and dinner at the same time
- Match foods properly. For example, a remedy for food-borne gastritis is to avoid the combination of protein + carbohydrates (especially if simple) in large quantities
- Take a walk after a meal to help digestion and prevent food from stagnating in the stomach for too long
- Taking abundant amounts of water is a good remedy to mitigate gastritis symptoms because saliva and liquids act as mild protection (for esophageal mucosa) from acidic gastric juices
What NOT to do
- Drink alcohol. Alcohol is one of the major causes of acute gastritis
- Overuse NSAIDs
- Take irritating substances for gastric mucosa
- Smoking: even smoke, like alcohol, irritates the gastric mucosa, accentuating the symptoms of gastritis
- Take milk and derivatives immediately after the administration of antibiotics such as tetracyclines: dairy products can inactivate the drug
- Temporeggiare: when gastritis is suspected, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor to start any specific treatment as soon as possible
- Drink few liquids. Water is an exceptional remedy to prevent dehydration in case of gastritis associated with diarrhea or vomiting
- Overeating can make digestion difficult, expanding the time that food stays in the stomach
- Eat when you are excessively nervous or stressed. In such circumstances, the patient tends to swallow involuntary abnormal amounts of food, chewing it quickly
- Fast. Fasting, especially if prolonged, increases stomach acidity, accentuating the symptoms of gastritis
What to eat
- Take yoghurt with live lactic ferments or a probiotic in case of prolonged antibiotic therapy (to strengthen the immune system)
- Take lots of fruit and vegetables, as it is rich in antioxidants (vitamin C and E)
- Milk (alkaline food able to buffer the gastric acidity). Prefer the skimmed or partially skimmed milk to the whole one. Do not exceed with doses.
- Artichokes, nettle, potato, banana, cabbage
- White meats, lean fish, non-fermented low-fat cheeses
- Prefer extra virgin olive oil
- Orange colored plants (except for citrus fruits)
- Sesame seeds
- Oats and brown rice
What NOT to Eat
- Avoid eating hard-to-digest foods, such as dips, fries and fat-rich foods
- Coffee, tea, soft drinks based on maté, guarana, cola
- Wine (limit consumption)
- Chili peppers and spicy foods in general
- Meat and fatty fish, smoked fish, fermented fat cheeses
- Sodas
- Cold foods like ice cream and ice lollies on an empty stomach
- Spices, including pepper, garlic and chilli
- Tomatoes, dried fruit and sour fruit
- Raw or undercooked foods (avoiding these foods is a preventive form for H. pylori infections, bacteria that can infect humans through the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat)
Natural Cures and Remedies
- To speed healing, it is recommended to take herbal teas formulated with active ingredients extracted from mucilaginous and gastroprotective plants:
- Aloe vera Gel (not aloe juice, which can accentuate gastric pyrosis due to anthraquinones)
- Chamomile ( Chamomilla recutita ) → soothing, spasmolytic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties
- Mallow ( Malva sylvestris ) → anti-inflammatory action on gastric mucosa
- Altea ( Althaea officinalis L.) → emollient and anti-inflammatory properties
- Alginic acid, useful remedy to protect the stomach wall from gastritis and ulcers
- Licorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra ) → thanks to the beneficial action exerted at the gastric level, licorice is a natural remedy for gastritis. Contraindicated in case of hypertension
- Peppermint ( Mentha piperita ) → antispastic activity on smooth muscle cells of the digestive system
Pharmacological care
- Proton pump inhibitors (IPP):
- Pantoprazole (eg Peptazol, Pantorc, Nolpaza, Gastroloc)
- Lansoprazole (eg. Pergastid, Lomevel, Lansox)
- Antacids:
- Aluminum hydroxide + magnesium hydroxide (Maalox plus)
- calcium carbonate
- sodium bicarbonate
- Protectors of the gastric mucosa:
- Sucralfate (eg Degastril, Citogel, Teva)
- Bismuth compounds (eg salicylated bismuth)
- Antibiotics: to be taken exclusively in case of confirmed H. pylori infection in the context of gastritis:
- amoxicillin (eg Augmentin, Klavux)
- metronidazole (eg Metronid, Deflamon)
Antibiotics must be associated with sucralfate and / or PPIs
Prevention
- Wash your hands often with soap and water to minimize the risk of Helicobacter pylori infections. It is thought possible that the bacterium is transmitted from subject to subject by taking infected food or water
- Eat well cooked foods to avoid H. pylory infections
- Reduce stress
- Don't drink alcohol
- Not smoking
- Limit the administration of NSAIDs as much as possible
- Following a healthy and balanced diet, free of excesses and potentially irritating foods for the gastric mucosa, is a valid remedy to prevent gastritis
Medical treatments
- Common acute gastritis does not require any specific medical treatment, since the implementation of simple dietary measures is generally sufficient to keep the symptoms of gastritis under control
- In case of chronic alcoholism dependent on alcoholism, it is necessary to stop drinking alcohol. If the patient is unable to detox from alcohol, it is necessary to resort to psychological supportive therapy to help him overcome the disease
- In the case of chronic gastritis dependent on smoking, it is necessary to stop smoking. The heavy smoker with gastritis can be treated with specific drugs to stop smoking
