If you use pain relievers that increase your risk of gastritis, ask your doctor whether acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may be an option for you. This medication is less likely to aggravate your stomach problem.
Switching from aspirin or NSAIDs to another pain reliever may help as well. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol) is not known to cause gastritis. Talk with a health care professional before switching to acetaminophen. He or she may have recommended aspirin or an NSAID for a specific purpose.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, are commonly used for pain relief, but they can also increase acidic gastric juices produced in the stomach. The increased stomach acid can inflame and wear down the stomach lining.
If you are diagnosed with chronic gastritis, its symptoms can be eased with lifestyle changes: relaxation techniques, avoiding NSAID painkillers and alcohol, not smoking, eating smaller portions more frequently instead of a big meal, and cutting down on known irritants in your diet such as fried, spicy or acidic foods.
Although NSAIDs (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen) decrease pain and inflammation, they also interfere with a hormone needed to produce the mucus that protects the stomach lining. Using the lowest effective NSAID dose for the shortest duration is another best practice for reducing the risk of gastritis.
Gastritis is when your stomach lining gets red and swollen (inflamed). Your stomach lining is strong. In most cases, acid does not hurt it. But it can get inflamed and irritated if you drink too much alcohol, eat spicy foods, have damage from pain relievers called NSAIDs, or smoke.
Although stress and spicy foods don't cause gastritis and ulcers, they can make symptoms worse. Milk might provide brief relief, but it also increases stomach acid, which can worsen symptoms. Your doctor may recommend taking antacids or other drugs to reduce acid in the stomach.
If you think the cause of your gastritis is repeated use of NSAID painkillers (see above), try switching to a different painkiller that isn't in the NSAID class, such as paracetamol. You may want to talk to your GP about this. Also consider: eating smaller, more frequent meals.
Simethicone (Gas-X, Mylanta Gas Minis, others) helps break up the bubbles in gas and may help gas pass through your digestive tract.
Drinking large amounts of water controls the acid levels of gastric juices, which helps accelerate the healing of gastritis. You should avoid drinking too much water immediately before and after meals, as it can be counterproductive.
Over-the-counter pain relief like paracetamol and ibuprofen will rarely help ease diarrhoea or sickness, but it can help treat other symptoms, such as stomach ache, fever and aches and pains.
Lingering gastritis
If you experience persistent symptoms of gastritis that don't go away despite the absence of NSAIDs, alcohol, stress, and radiation, then you most likely have a serious infection in your stomach or a severely damaged gastric mucosa.
Making lifestyle changes, such as avoiding the long-term use of alcohol, NSAIDs, coffee, and drugs, may help prevent gastritis and its complications (such as a peptic ulcer).
Gnawing or burning ache or pain (indigestion) in your upper abdomen that may become either worse or better with eating. Nausea. Vomiting. A feeling of fullness in your upper abdomen after eating.
Gastritis Treatment Medications
These contain containing aluminum and magnesium and can help relieve neutralize gastric acid. These are inexpensive and relatively safe. Examples include: Alka-Seltzer, Milk of Magnesia, Gaviscon, Pepto-Bismol and Tums.
Generally, acute gastritis lasts anywhere from 2-10 days and can be greatly improved with symptomatic treatment. People usually recover from acute gastritis without complications or need for further medical intervention.
If you are diagnosed with chronic gastritis, its symptoms can be eased with lifestyle changes: relaxation techniques, avoiding NSAID painkillers and alcohol, not smoking, eating smaller portions more frequently instead of a big meal, and cutting down on known irritants in your diet such as fried, spicy or acidic foods.
One person with gastritis may have no noticeable symptoms, while another may have severe symptoms. Typically, people report a sharp, stabbing, or burning pain in the upper-center or upper-left abdomen. The pain often radiates to the back. Other common symptoms include bloating and nausea.
It can come and go in some. In others, it may be constant with waxing and waning intensities — with or without specific triggers (like it may be worse before or after eating). Sometimes, the pain will come and hang around. Other times, it comes and goes with periods of little-to-no discomfort.
Anyone with gastritis should see a doctor if symptoms are severe, extend past a week, or are unresponsive to adjusting diet or altering lifestyle. However, any sign of internal bleeding is an immediate emergency and anyone with symptoms of internal bleeding should seek medical attention right away.
Acute gastritis usually lasts for a short period of time. In most cases, it resolves spontaneously within a few days or weeks once the inflammation has settled. In other cases, however, acute gastritis can lead to recurrent or long-term inflammation of the gastric mucosa, otherwise known as chronic gastritis.
Chronic gastritis is one of the most common chronic conditions and can last for years or even a lifetime if left untreated.