Gastritis

Gastritis is an upset stomach. It happens when something irritates the stomach lining. Normally, a layer of mucus protects the stomach lining. If gastritis occurs for a long time, part of this lining may wear away. This causes sores called ulcers.

Gastritis can make you feel sick to your stomach. Symptoms may include pain, discomfort, or bloating in the upper part of the belly. You may also have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Gastritis may cause only mild symptoms that come and go. Severe gastritis can cause serious bleeding from the digestive tract.

You may need blood tests, a stool test, or a breath test to check for an infection, such as one caused by H. pylori, in the stomach. You may have a endoscopy. In some cases, the doctor may want to test a sample of tissue from the intestine. This test is called a biopsy.

If gastritis happens only now and then, you can likely use just home treatment. This may include changes to your diet, such as limiting how much alcohol you drink. Or you may need to avoid foods and drinks that have caffeine. They increase stomach acid.

If gastritis doesn't get better or it keeps coming back, see your doctor. They may recommend treatment such as:

• Taking medicines to help reduce stomach acid and ease discomfort. These include antacids and stomach acid blockers.
• Taking medicines to help treat an infection from H. pylori bacteria.
• Avoiding medicines that can cause gastritis, such as aspirin or ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs.

• Have your child take medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think your child is having a problem with a medicine.
• Note when your child gets an upset stomach. Write down any foods, medicines, or events that seem to cause stomach upset. Avoid these in the future.
• Do not give your child over-the-counter medicines without talking to your doctor first. Do not give Pepto-Bismol or other medicines that contain salicylates, a form of aspirin.
• Watch for and treat signs of dehydration, which means that the body has lost too much water. Your child's mouth may feel very dry. Your child may have sunken eyes with few tears when crying. Your child may lack energy and want to be held a lot. And your child may not urinate as often as usual.
• Give your child lots of fluids a little at a time. This is very important if your child is vomiting or has diarrhea. Give your child sips of water or drinks such as Pedialyte or Infalyte. These drinks contain a mix of salt, sugar, and minerals. You can buy them at drugstores or grocery stores. Give these drinks as long as your child is throwing up or has diarrhea. Do not use them as the only source of liquids or food for more than 12 to 24 hours.
• Avoid foods that make your child's symptoms worse. These may include chocolate, mint, alcohol, pepper, spicy foods, high-fat foods, or drinks with caffeine in them, such as tea, coffee, colas, or energy drinks.
• Start to offer small amounts of food when your child feels like eating.