Hi, what are the differences between gastritis, heartburn and acid reflux? what are the nutritional management for these? Thank you
Sincerely
Steffie
Full Version: Gastritis, HEartBurn and Acid Reflux
gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining; heartburn is occasional and GERD is frequent
Also, gastritis can cause heartburn and acid reflux as part of the symptoms it presents with. And I think (but dont quote me, as I am not a doctor), that acid reflux and hertburn can occur without there being any gastritis.
In order to be diagnosed with any of these, you should go to your doctor so she/he can give you the correct medicine. You can always go to a natural health provider in conjunction with your doctor, or instead of (but you should always get the initial diagnosis from your doctor, as they usually have the medical knowledge on the proper diagnosis - then treatment is up to you - conventional or alternative).
Gastritis is caused by a variety of things, including stress, having too many foods/medication that can cause the lining of the stomach to be inflamed and nowadays, more and more diagnosis of the helicobacter pylori bacteria is shown to be the culprit in causing gastritis (apparently thats the reason I have gastritis!!)
Because gastritis can sometimes be confused with ulcers, especially if the pain is severe and debilitating, in one spot and causes severe symptoms, an endoscopy is performed - that is where a camera on the end of a tube is placed inside the mouth and delivered to the stomach to determine what is going on - are there any suspicious lumps, is there any ulceration, how damaged is the stomach?. A little sample of the stomach is taken to work out what is causing the problem.
If it is the helicobacter pylori that is the issue, then the doctor will prescribe a triple whammy of medicines to kill it - two types of antibiotics in strong doses and a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) - all this is is a medicine that stops the acid from secreting in the stomach so that the helicobacter pylori bacteria can be killed off and the acid reflux doesnt occur.
That is the conventional method for treating gastritis caused by helicobacter pylori bacteria.
If your gastritis isnt caused by that bacteria, the doctor will recommend diet and lifestyle changes to stop the inflammation (no alcohol, no spicy foods, no milk as this makes the stomach more acidic, no hard to digest foods for a while). These also apply if you have acid reflux or heartburn. Plus there are many conventional over-the-counter remedies that you can buy in pharmacies for those.
For any type of stomach upsets - be it acid reflux, heartburn or even gastritis and ulcer - the best thing to do when its really severe, is to have a really bland diet for a few days, until it settles down. Doctors will recommend things like rice, ripe bananas, custard, steamed vegetables, just really simple, plain foods, that are not too hard and easy to digest. If the stomach has to work hard to digest the foods properly, it will need to secrete more acid to break down the foods and then the stomach pains will start again.
If you want to try natural/alternative means for gastritis, there are two things which have been shown in a few studies, to kill off the bacteria and to promote healing and better stomach function.
1. Mastic gum -- this is the resin from a particular type of pistachio tree found on an island around Greece and has been shown (in clinical studies) to be particularly effective in killing off the helicobacter pylori bacterium. It's been around for a while, but because more and more studies are showing it has a good effect on the helico pylori bacterium, the nutritional companies have realised they can make a lotta money out of it, so have started creating supplements with it (they are available in the USA and UK, but I cant find them in Australia yet)
2. Zinc-carnosine -- zinc promotes healing of any part of the body, especially the mucous membranes, which are what line the stomach and carnosine (an amino acid) has been found to promote healing in ulcers and gastritis and together these two nutrients have been shown to assist in the healing process
One other thing that is useful for helping the symptoms of stomach problems is slippery elm powder - the tablets are ok, but the powder is best for quick effect! It is just a band-aid solution for severe gastritis, but for acid reflux and heartburn, it can actually work quite well in alleviating the symptoms. It is a good solution for all the three problems, you just have to keep having it until the symptoms disappear. It has worked for me and also for my friends who I recommended it to. Just be aware that the real stuff is expensive, so if you find a cheap version, dont buy it, as it will mostly contain some type of filler, which wont have any positive effect on your stomach pains!!
Marshmallow leaves - in tea (they taste soooo nice) are also really good at relieving stomach upset, but they muck around with blood sugar levels, so if you are diabetic or hypoglacemic, I would stay away from these...
The other thing to note, is that research has shown that constant ulceration, severe and chronic gastritis, or any type of GERD, if it occurs for a long enough period and given the right type of circumstances, can develop into cancer!
So if you think it is a minor problem, think again. Because it could develop into something severe if it is not resolved.... So if I were you, I would get the situation resolve and totally under control...
Hope that helps
Vital Health
In order to be diagnosed with any of these, you should go to your doctor so she/he can give you the correct medicine. You can always go to a natural health provider in conjunction with your doctor, or instead of (but you should always get the initial diagnosis from your doctor, as they usually have the medical knowledge on the proper diagnosis - then treatment is up to you - conventional or alternative).
Gastritis is caused by a variety of things, including stress, having too many foods/medication that can cause the lining of the stomach to be inflamed and nowadays, more and more diagnosis of the helicobacter pylori bacteria is shown to be the culprit in causing gastritis (apparently thats the reason I have gastritis!!)
Because gastritis can sometimes be confused with ulcers, especially if the pain is severe and debilitating, in one spot and causes severe symptoms, an endoscopy is performed - that is where a camera on the end of a tube is placed inside the mouth and delivered to the stomach to determine what is going on - are there any suspicious lumps, is there any ulceration, how damaged is the stomach?. A little sample of the stomach is taken to work out what is causing the problem.
If it is the helicobacter pylori that is the issue, then the doctor will prescribe a triple whammy of medicines to kill it - two types of antibiotics in strong doses and a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) - all this is is a medicine that stops the acid from secreting in the stomach so that the helicobacter pylori bacteria can be killed off and the acid reflux doesnt occur.
That is the conventional method for treating gastritis caused by helicobacter pylori bacteria.
If your gastritis isnt caused by that bacteria, the doctor will recommend diet and lifestyle changes to stop the inflammation (no alcohol, no spicy foods, no milk as this makes the stomach more acidic, no hard to digest foods for a while). These also apply if you have acid reflux or heartburn. Plus there are many conventional over-the-counter remedies that you can buy in pharmacies for those.
For any type of stomach upsets - be it acid reflux, heartburn or even gastritis and ulcer - the best thing to do when its really severe, is to have a really bland diet for a few days, until it settles down. Doctors will recommend things like rice, ripe bananas, custard, steamed vegetables, just really simple, plain foods, that are not too hard and easy to digest. If the stomach has to work hard to digest the foods properly, it will need to secrete more acid to break down the foods and then the stomach pains will start again.
If you want to try natural/alternative means for gastritis, there are two things which have been shown in a few studies, to kill off the bacteria and to promote healing and better stomach function.
1. Mastic gum -- this is the resin from a particular type of pistachio tree found on an island around Greece and has been shown (in clinical studies) to be particularly effective in killing off the helicobacter pylori bacterium. It's been around for a while, but because more and more studies are showing it has a good effect on the helico pylori bacterium, the nutritional companies have realised they can make a lotta money out of it, so have started creating supplements with it (they are available in the USA and UK, but I cant find them in Australia yet)
2. Zinc-carnosine -- zinc promotes healing of any part of the body, especially the mucous membranes, which are what line the stomach and carnosine (an amino acid) has been found to promote healing in ulcers and gastritis and together these two nutrients have been shown to assist in the healing process
One other thing that is useful for helping the symptoms of stomach problems is slippery elm powder - the tablets are ok, but the powder is best for quick effect! It is just a band-aid solution for severe gastritis, but for acid reflux and heartburn, it can actually work quite well in alleviating the symptoms. It is a good solution for all the three problems, you just have to keep having it until the symptoms disappear. It has worked for me and also for my friends who I recommended it to. Just be aware that the real stuff is expensive, so if you find a cheap version, dont buy it, as it will mostly contain some type of filler, which wont have any positive effect on your stomach pains!!
Marshmallow leaves - in tea (they taste soooo nice) are also really good at relieving stomach upset, but they muck around with blood sugar levels, so if you are diabetic or hypoglacemic, I would stay away from these...
The other thing to note, is that research has shown that constant ulceration, severe and chronic gastritis, or any type of GERD, if it occurs for a long enough period and given the right type of circumstances, can develop into cancer!
So if you think it is a minor problem, think again. Because it could develop into something severe if it is not resolved.... So if I were you, I would get the situation resolve and totally under control...
Hope that helps
Vital Health
Hi Annie and VitalHealth,
Thanx a lot for the very useful information. Highly appreciated.
Your information has been very helpful in determining what sort of food to avoid.
Thanx
Thanx a lot for the very useful information. Highly appreciated.
Your information has been very helpful in determining what sort of food to avoid.
Thanx
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