Do you suffer from gastritis? This painful condition can be challenging, with physically and emotionally draining symptoms. If you have gastritis, you’re not alone – around half of the world’s population suffers from the symptoms of this condition.
Indeed, Embracing Nutrition functional medicine practitioner Karen Preece Smith is seeing increasing amounts of clients who are troubled by gastritis.
In this blog, you will learn how to support gastritis naturally, easing your discomfort long-term.
Gastritis occurs when the protective lining of the stomach breaks down and becomes inflamed. This lining protects the tissues of your stomach from the acid secretions produced during digestion. When the lining breaks down, this causes pain and irritation.
Acute gastritis appears suddenly and is usually temporary. On the other hand, chronic gastritis develops gradually over time and causes long-term symptoms.
Within this, gastritis is classed as being either erosive or non-erosive. Non-erosive gastritis occurs when the stomach lining is inflamed yet there aren’t any ulcers or eroded areas. Erosive gastritis occurs when ulceration accompanies the inflammation.
Occasionally, the ulceration in the stomach can bleed. This may lead to vomiting blood or blood in your stools. If this occurs, seek medical attention.
However, sometimes gastritis doesn’t lead to any noticeable symptoms.
There are a several potential causes of gastritis.
A common cause is infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach irritation. H. pylori infection is usually associated with chronic gastritis.
Excessive alcohol consumption is another culprit, because alcohol irritates the stomach lining, leading to inflammation. Smoking is linked to gastritis, too.
Medications like NSAIDs, including aspirin, can cause stomach irritation.
Chronic stress can cause stomach irritation because of the close link between the brain and the gut.
In some people, gastritis can be an autoimmune condition, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in the stomach lining, called the parietal cells. These cells produce stomach acid and intrinsic factor, a substance needed for the absorption of vitamin B12. Deterioration of parietal cell function can lead to a deficiency in B12 known as pernicious anaemia.
Autoimmune gastritis is more common in people who already have an autoimmune disease. These include type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, Addison’s, coeliac disease, or Hashimoto’s.
Other factors linked with gastritis include gut microbiome dysbiosis and food sensitivities, because these lead to systemic inflammation. If your stomach does not produce sufficient stomach acid, digestion will be impaired, and pathogenic bacteria allowed to thrive.
Medical professionals usually use an endoscopy to diagnose gastritis. It’s typically treated with medicines to suppress stomach acid levels, alongside antibiotics if H. pylori infection is suspected. Although these can relieve symptoms, they don’t address the underlying causes of gastritis. Digestion and nutrient absorption, particularly for minerals like iron, vitamin B12, zinc, magnesium, and calcium, will become worse over time as stomach acid is further depleted.
If left untreated, the inflammation accompanying gastritis can lead to peptic ulcers and anaemia.
Gastritis is not an issue confined to the digestive system, but a symptom of underlying imbalances needing correction. Understanding the root cause of your condition is essential to bring about lasting positive results.
Because there are many potential causes of gastritis, your practitioner may recommend specific functional tests appropriate to you. A stool test, carried out in the privacy of your own home, will detect pathogenic bacteria, microbiome dysbiosis, and digestive inflammation. If food sensitivities are suspected of contributing to digestive inflammation, a food sensitivity test may be appropriate. Testing the relative levels of your stress hormones can reveal whether stress may be contributing to your symptoms. Your practitioner can then recommend dietary and lifestyle modifications personalised to you.
In the meantime, an anti-inflammatory diet can be helpful in reducing the adverse symptoms of gastritis. This means avoiding dietary items that irritate your stomach, including spicy or acidic foods, processed foods, and caffeine.
Soothing herbal teas include chamomile and ginger, with ginger being great for managing nausea, too. Herbs used traditionally to soothe the stomach include marshmallow root, aloe vera juice, and liquorice, which can also inhibit H. pylori 1. Cabbage juice is often used to support gut health.
You might not be able to avoid stress, but you can control how your body reacts to it. Useful strategies include breathwork, yoga, Tai chi, and meditation. Try to relax before eating, eat slowly and chew your food well.
By addressing the root causes of your gastritis symptoms, you can help your body heal itself. We’d recommend your first step to be a free, no-obligation 15-minute Discovery Call. This gives you an opportunity to find out whether our approach is a good fit for you.
References
If you are having issues with Gastritis and want to support it naturally. Then please book a free discovery call with our practitioner Karen Preece Smith
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