Gastritis

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Gastritis is when the lining of your stomach is irritated and swollen. The stomach lining helps prevent acids from damaging your stomach.

INSTRUCTIONS:

How to manage your gastritis at home:

• Avoid NSAIDs. NSAIDs (medicine such as ibuprofen and aspirin) may irritate your stomach. It may help to take them with food, but you may not be able to take NSAIDs at all.
  
  
• Avoid alcohol. If you drink alcohol, it can make your gastritis worse. Ask your primary healthcare provider about ways to quit drinking.
  
  
• Do not eat foods that bother your stomach.
  
  
• Quit smoking. Cigarette smoke can make your gastritis worse. If you smoke, it is never too late to quit. Ask your primary healthcare provider for more information about how to stop smoking if you have trouble quitting.

Medicines:

• Antacids: These medicines decrease stomach acid. These are available without a doctor's order and can be used when you have symptoms.
  
  
• H2 blockers: These medicines decrease stomach acid. They are available without a doctor's order. They work best if they are taken regularly.
  
  
• Proton pump inhibitors: These medicines decrease stomach acid. Some of these medicines are available without a doctor's order. They work best if taken regularly. Tell your primary healthcare provider if you experience any side effects, such as headaches, diarrhea, or constipation.
  
  
• Antibiotics: You may be given antibiotics if you have an H. pylori infection. Antibiotics help kill the germs that cause infection. Take this medicine until it is completely gone, even if you feel better.
  
  
• Take your medicine as directed: Call your primary healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not helping or if you have side effects. Tell him if you are taking any vitamins, herbs, or other medicines. Keep a list of the medicines you take. Include the amounts, and when and why you take them. Bring the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits.

Follow up with your primary healthcare provider or stomach specialist within 2 to 5 days:

Write down any questions you have so you remember to ask them in your follow-up visits. If you have an H. pylori infection, you may need to have another stool test. Treatment or lifestyle changes may decrease your symptoms and help heal your stomach lining.

Contact your primary healthcare provider if:

• You feel weak or more tired than usual.
  
  
• Your pain has not improved after several days.
  
  
• You have a fever.

Return to the emergency department if:

• You have severe stomach or back pain.
  
  
• You vomit blood (may be red or look like coffee grounds).
  
  
• You have black or bloody bowel movements.
  
  
• You develop chest pain or become short of breath.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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