Inflammation in protective lining of the stomach is called gastritis. Acute gastritis happens in case of sudden and severe inflammation while chronic gastritis occurs gradually and persists for years, if left untreated. Although it does not give rise to heartburn but some of the symptoms are similar to those produced by heartburn. Therefore, treatment of this disease is also similar to Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), with medications to reduce stomach acid.
Symptoms of Gastritis
The most common symptoms of gastritis are:
- Upper abdominal pain, which may worsen with eating
- Abdominal indigestion
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dark stools
Causes of Gastritis
There are several causes of gastritis. The most common are:
- Taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs
- Alcohol consumption
- Smoking
- Infection of the stomach with H. pylori bacteria
- Erosive protective layer of the stomach lining
- Bile reflux
- Autoimmune disorders, for example, pernicious anemia
- Excess gastric acid secretion
- Viral infection, especially in people with a compromised immune system
Diagnosing Gastritis
There are a few screening tests recommended by physicians to diagnose gastritis, such as:
Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy:
The doctor passes an endoscope (a thin tube containing a tiny camera) through your mouth down into your stomach to take a look at the stomach lining. The doctor will check for any signs of inflammation there and remove a sample of tissue to perform tests. The procedure of removing a tissue sample is known as biopsy.
Red Blood Cells Count:
The doctor will check your red blood cell count to see if you are suffering with anemia, which means a lack of red blood cells. In Gastritis, anemia can be caused by bleeding from the stomach lining inflammation or ulcers.
Stool test:
This diagnostic test checks for the presence of blood in patient’s stool (to confirm the inflammation in the stomach).
Treatment of Gastritis
The treatment of gastritis depends on its cause. If it happens as a result of the consumption of any drugs then simply avoiding these medicines will be enough to get rid of the symptoms. If gastritis occurs due to an infection such as h. pylori then it is routinely treated with an antibiotic.
Ayurvedic Treatment
The treatment for gastritis depends on its underlying cause. Acute gastritis usually goes away quickly with medicine. Infections, for example H. pylori can often be treated with one or two courses of antibiotics. Sometimes, however, treatment fails and turns into a long-term health issue. Various allopathic medicines are used to treat gastritis but there is an advanced ayurvedic formula which is quite effective to cure this disease permanently. Here is the outlook for this treatment formula and detail about its active ingredients so it becomes clearer to you if you want to give it a try.
Gastritis kit by Grocare
This kit contains two medications which are as follows:
The active ingredients include:
Shankha bhasma: It is an anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, antispasmodic and stool binding agent.
Myristika fragrans: It is a great anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving remedy if you are suffering from digestive issues. Therefore, it is used as a carminative to aid digestion problems.
Zingibar officinale: It is anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties therefore, is used in several digestive ailments such as gastritis and stomach infections.
Some other constituents are also present in this medicine in small concentrations.
The main active ingredients are:
Ipomea terpathum: This plant contains some laxative and cathartic properties. Therefore, used as a digestive aid.
Eugenia cryophyllata: This is also known as clove and possesses some essential oils and vitamin A and C which are very effective in prevention and treatment of gastritis.
Cyprus rotundus: this plant also has antioxidant properties which gives a gastroprotective effect to treat gastritis and other stomach issues
Emblica ribes: This is also known as false black pepper and has some anti-bacterial, anti-flatulence and anti-protozoal activities, therefore, included in this formula to treat gastritis.
Other Allopathic Treatments
- Proton pump inhibitors
Proton pump inhibitors work by blocking cells that produce stomach acid. Common proton pump inhibitors include Omeprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole.
Consult your doctor before starting one of these medications to create a treatment plan that is right for you.
- Acid reducing medications
Medications that decrease the acid production in your stomach are ranitidine, famotidine.
By reducing the acid release into your digestive tract, these medications relieve the pain of gastritis and give the protective lining of your stomach time to heal.
- Antacids
These medications are often recommended by physicians to neutralize the acid in our stomach.
Sometimes side effects such as constipation and diarrhea can occur by using these medicines. Talk to your doctor if you experience any of these side effects.
- Probiotics
Probiotics are helpful to nourish digestive flora and heal gastric ulcers. There is currently no evidence to support the use of probiotics to treat ulcers and decreasing the secretion of stomach acid.