Gastritis treatments: What actually works for symptom relief

Gastritis is a relatively common phenomenon characterized by an inflammation of the stomach lining. This, in turn,”can result in the lining’s thinning out or erosion,” explains Tamara Duker Freuman, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian specializing in digestive and metabolic diseases. “When this happens, the nerves of the stomach wall have less of a barrier protecting them from irritants, such as stomach acid or chemical irritants from food.” But many conditions can cause gastritis, and because it leads to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (such as nausea, pain in the upper abdomen, and feeling full after eating) that could be due to other health concerns too, it can be hard to pinpoint the right treatment for it.

A successful gastritis treatment plan starts with discovering the underlying cause, then determining the treatment for gastritis. This guide dives into how GI providers recommend treatments and the many underlying conditions associated with gastritis.

Gastritis treatments start with finding the cause

Gastritis is a recognized medical condition defined by inflammation of the stomach lining, and it is something to take seriously. But what exactly can trigger the gastritis alarm? Turns out, there are quite a few things. They can be divided into two categories: reasons for acute (short-term) gastritis and causes of chronic (ongoing) gastritis.

Possible reasons for acute gastritis are:

• Stress: Severe physical stress, such as critical illness, shock, sepsis, burns, major injury, or surgery, is a recognized cause of acute gastritis. Emotional stress and anxiety can also cause or worsen upper stomach symptoms and may contribute in some people, but they do not necessarily mean that true acute gastritis is present.
• Uremia: This kidney function complication may lead to inflammation in the stomach lining.
• Reduced blood flow to the stomach: When blood flow to the stomach lining drops, such as during shock, severe injury, or critical illness, the lining can be damaged and develop inflammation or erosions.
• Medications: Certain drugs and radiation therapy for cancer may trigger acute gastritis. This is part of the reason why a GI provider reviews the medications that a patient takes during the diagnostic process–they’re looking to see whether something you’re taking may be triggering your inflammation and other symptoms.
• Trauma: When we experience severe physical trauma, blood flow may temporarily slow or stop to the stomach. This may lead to acute gastritis.
• Use of certain substances: Cocaine, alcohol, and ingesting poisonous substances are associated with acute gastritis. Heavy drinking may also contribute to chronic stomach lining inflammation.

Possible causes of chronic gastritis are:

• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection: H. pylori is a type of bacteria that can damage the stomach lining. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, it’s the most common cause of gastritis. If the infection is not treated, it can also lead to stomach ulcers and, over many years, increase the risk of stomach cancer.

• Inflammatory GI conditions: Conditions that cause inflammation in the GI tract, such as Crohn’s disease, may be to blame.

• Celiac disease: In some cases, Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by eating gluten, may lead to chronic gastritis.

• Other autoimmune disorders: Other autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid disease and type I diabetes, may cause gastritis if they lead to inflammation in the stomach lining.

Even if one or two stand out as likely causes, you can’t self-diagnose what is causing gastritis. Instead, a GI provider must determine what’s causing gastritis or gastritis-like symptoms.

How gastritis is diagnosed before treatment begins

To diagnose gastritis, a GI provider will start by asking about symptoms, your medical history, any medications you take, and your lifestyle. From there, they will perform a physical examination, which often involves feeling the stomach to check for tenderness and help rule out other possible causes of symptoms.

What they can’t physically feel is inflammation in the stomach lining. To inspect this, a GI  provider will recommend  an upper endoscopy, which is a procedure where a tube with a camera is inserted into the top part of the GI tract, so they can see what’s going on. A doctor may also order a breath test, stool test, and/or blood test.

Using the results from these tests, insight from their physical examination, and the patient’s self-reported symptoms, a GI provider will diagnose the underlying cause. That cause will then inform the recommended treatment plan.

Gastritis treatment types

Gastritis treatment falls into four main camps: medication, nutrition, eating habits, and stress management. Often, a GI provider recommends a treatment plan that encompasses multiple of these categories.

Gastritis medication

Traditionally, gastritis medication was the front-line treatment for all cases. It’s still effective, either on its own or alongside other treatments, in many cases. However, some medications  may only relieve symptoms, rather than treating the underlying cause. Treatment of gastritis is dependent on the underlying cause (e.g., antibiotics for H. Pylori gastritis) and avoiding the underlying cause, if any (e.g., NSAIDs, alcohol).

Common medications prescribed for gastritis include:

• Antibiotics: If gastritis is caused by H. pylori, treatment includes antibiotics. Some regimens also include bismuth, the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol.
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)

Other drugs may be prescribed as well, depending on why gastritis is happening in the first place.

Diet for gastritis

Sometimes, nutrition won’t play a role in the treatment. Other times, a diet for gastritis may help reduce inflammation. And in all gastritis cases, avoiding trigger foods is a good way to make sure inflammation doesn’t get worse.

When Freuman works with a patient who has gastritis, she recommends avoiding foods that are known as GI irritants. Triggers vary from person to person, but common gastritis triggers are acidic fruits and juices, tomato-based sauces/soups, and coffee.

If you’re a coffee lover like me, you might have scoffed at that last one. For those of us with a caffeine addiction, Freuman advises, “If giving up coffee is too difficult, I recommend drinking it on a full stomach rather than an empty one.”

She also recommends choosing a milkier coffee, because the milk helps buffer the coffee’s acidic quality. That means a gastritis flare may be the time to indulge in a cappuccino or iced latte (though you may want to limit or skip any extra sugar or syrups).

Some of Freuman’s patients also report that, when dealing with gastritis, soft or cooked vegetables are easier to digest. Freuman explains, “This may be because softer forms of fiber take less time (and therefore require less gastric acid) to break down in the stomach compared to coarse, ‘roughage’ type fibers.”

Eating habits for gastritis

While Freuman says it’s important to reflect on what you eat, she also helps patients adjust how they eat too. “I always tell my patients that an empty stomach is an acidic stomach, and constant exposure to a very acidic pH can aggravate gastritis and provoke symptoms,” she says. “For this reason, I recommend eating a small meal or snack every three to four hours.”

It’s also recommended to review alcohol intake and nonprescription pain-reliever use, since these can trigger stomach lining inflammation. If someone can’t 100% abstain from alcohol, Frueman advises that they should never drink on an empty stomach.

Stress management and gastritis

It’s also crucial to manage your stress levels. Worrying or anxious thoughts may further trigger stomach lining inflammation. Sometimes, stress is the primary cause of gastritis as well. If your life is anything like mine, it’s not possible to get rid of all stressors. But you can develop practices that make you more resilient and better able to handle stressful situations.

A gut-brain specialist can help you find the right stress management practices for you.  Common ones include meditation, breathwork , and even having an analog hobby you enjoy, like reading.

How to relieve gastritis pain fast

A lot of the treatment options we’ve discussed so far take time to work. If you’re wondering how to relieve gastritis pain fast, the answer is you might have to cultivate patience. Treating the underlying cause and reducing inflammation takes time.

But before you click off this article frustrated, there are some tips that may help the symptoms (not the underlying cause) go away faster:

• Avoid alcohol or any personal trigger foods when symptoms occur.

• Eat smaller meals. Large portions may make gastritis symptoms worse.

• Try a quick stress relief exercise, such as this two-minute boxed breathing video.

How long gastritis treatment takes to work

Before going on a road trip, you probably enter the destination into your phone or GPS. The device gives you an estimated trip duration down to the minute and updates it regularly as you drive.

Gastritis doesn’t work like that. Instead, it’s more similar to a pre-GPS adventure. You can bring along an atlas (aka the treatment plan created by a GI provider), and there may be an estimated time of arrival, but there isn’t a live location tracker updating how long recovery will take.

The estimates on how long treatment may take differ depending on if gastritis is acute or chronic. For acute gastritis, it may take a few days for inflammation to go away. Chronic gastritis may require several weeks or months of treatment. Depending on the cause, it can take six months for inflammation to fully disappear.

Plus, it may reappear if triggered, making gastritis management an ongoing task for some individuals.

When to seek care

If experiencing any symptoms associated with gastritis for more than a few days, seek medical care. These include:

• Discomfort in the upper abdomen
• Feeling more tired than usual
• Feeling too full during or after eating
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Upper abdominal pain
• Vomiting

These symptoms are nonspecific, meaning they could stem from many GI conditions. The only way to know the cause for sure is to get a diagnosis from a GI provider, such as the team at Oshi Health.

Even if symptoms are mild and relatively manageable, it’s still important to seek care. While gastritis itself may not be life-threatening, certain causes increase the risk of stomach cancer.

Building a personalized treatment plan with a GI care team

Let’s say two people want to have an amazing vacation. Their definitions of”amazing” may differ. For one person, it could be a relaxing week on the beach, while the other might enjoy a fast-paced trip hopping between European cities. Like a trip itinerary, the right gastritis treatment plan is personalized too.

That’s why it’s important to work with a GI provider who takes a whole-person approach. These providers will diagnose the underlying cause, consider if medication is suitable, and provide any nutrition or lifestyle guidance that may help manage symptoms. At Oshi Health, GI providers even connect people with GI-specialized registered dietitians and gut-brain specialists when appropriate.

Key takeaways

• Gastritis refers to inflammation of the stomach lining. There are many potential causes of this sensation, and finding the underlying reason for gastritis is the first step in treating it.
• When looking at how to treat gastritis, a GI provider may recommend medication, dietary changes, and lifestyle adjustments. Sometimes they recommend a mix of treatment options.
• Gastritis treatment can take time to work, and results are often better when someone consistently follows their treatment plan.
• That treatment plan should be customized to the individual and created by a GI provider who takes a whole-person approach, such as the team at Oshi Health.