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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough you can't always prevent H. pylori infection, these suggestions can help reduce your risk of gastritis:
- Eat smart. If you experience frequent indigestion, eat smaller, more frequent meals to help ease the effects of stomach acid. In addition, avoid any foods you find irritating, especially those that are spicy, acidic, fried or fatty. While taking these steps can reduce the signs and symptoms you experience, they can't prevent gastritis.
- Limit or avoid alcohol. Excessive use of alcohol can irritate and erode the mucous lining of your stomach, causing inflammation and bleeding.
- Don't smoke. Smoking interferes with the protective lining of the stomach, making your stomach more susceptible to gastritis as well as ulcers. Smoking also increases stomach acid, delays stomach healing and is a leading risk factor for stomach cancer. Still, stopping isn't easy, especially if you've smoked for years. Talk to your doctor about methods that may help you stop smoking.
- Switch pain relievers. If possible, avoid taking NSAIDs — aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. These over-the-counter medications can cause stomach inflammation or make existing irritation worse. Instead, switch to pain relievers containing acetaminophen.
- Follow your doctor's recommendations. Your doctor may recommend that you take an over-the-counter antacid or acid blocker to help prevent recurring gastritis.
References
- Gastritis. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/gastritis. Accessed Feb. 23, 2009.
- Yardley JH, et al. Acute and chronic gastritis due to Helicobacter pylori. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 23, 2009.
- Yardley JH, et al. Metaplastic (chronic) atrophic gastritis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 23, 2009.
- Yardley JH, et al. Classification and diagnosis of gastritis and gastropathy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 23, 2009.
- H. Pylori and peptic ulcer. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hpylori. Accessed Feb. 23, 2009.
- Francis DL. Gastritis. In: Hauser SC, et al, eds. Mayo Clinic Gastroenterology and Hepatology Board Review. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Clinic Scientific Press; 2008:67.
- Picco MF. (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 25, 2009.
