Gastritis

Prevention

To help prevent gastritis:

• Don't smoke.

• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Most experts recommend that women limit alcohol use to no more than one drink a day and that men have no more than two drinks a day.

• If you take an NSAID to treat a medical problem, and the medicine upsets your stomach, stop taking the medicine and speak with your doctor.

Treatment

If you have mild, uncomplicated gastritis, you may need to:

• Stop smoking

• Stop drinking alcohol temporarily. After gastritis heals, your doctor will advise you to consume no more than one to two drinks a day, or none at all

• Avoid foods that you think may make your symptoms worse. Foods that cause problems most often include foods that are fatty, spicy or very acidic (coffee, orange juice, tomato juice).

• Use medications to decrease stomach acids. You may try over-the-counter antacids (such as Maalox, Mylanta, Tums or generic forms) or an H2 blocker (Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid and generic equivalents). H2 blockers also are available in prescription strength. Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), and pantoprazole (Protonix) are the strongest acid blockers, but are usually more expensive.

This approach should help you begin to feel better within a few days, with maximum results after a week or two.

If you still have symptoms, and further testing confirms that you have an H. pylori infection, your doctor will treat you with medications to kill the bacteria. If symptoms still continue, the doctor will recommend further testing, such as esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which is an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper intestine.