Most people who have gastritis are able to find relief for their symptoms. In some cases, you may need to see a doctor, but if your symptoms are mild, you can try home remedies first.

Gastritis is a term that refers to any condition that inflames your stomach lining. Drinking too much alcohol, overuse of pain relievers, and H. pylori bacteria can all cause gastritis. Common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, and a gnawing sensation in the abdomen.

Chronic, untreated gastritis, especially H. pylori infections, can lead to stomach ulcers.

Keep reading to find out how to manage gastritis at home.

Anti-inflammatory diet

Gastritis happens when your digestive system is taxed, and your stomach lining becomes inflamed. You can choose to eat foods that reduce inflammation and avoid those that irritate your stomach lining.

Trigger foods may vary from person to person, and keeping a food journal for a week will help you identify which foods trigger your gastritis flare-ups.

As a general rule, the following foods tend to be inflammatory to the mucous membrane that lines your stomach:

  • heavily processed and preserved foods
  • foods with gluten content (for those with celiac disease)
  • foods that are acidic, dairy foods
  • foods high in sugar

Research suggests that adding broccoli sprouts, fresh blueberries, and manuka honey to your diet may help your body to fight gastritis caused by H. pylori. Freshly pressed green cabbage juice may also help.

Garlic extract

Over half the world’s population, and about 36% of the U.S. population, already have H. pylori, the bacterial strain that causes gastritis, in their digestive tracts. Some people never feel any symptoms.

Raw garlic has anti-bacterial effects against H. pylori residing in the stomach. When gastritis is caused by H. pylori, raw garlic or garlic extract may help eliminate these bacteria. Still, a round of triple-antibiotics and acid suppressants is often needed to treat an H. pylori infection.

As a holistic approach, garlic may be a good complementary treatment.

You can crush raw garlic and drink the resulting extract by the teaspoonful, or you can purchase aged garlic extract (a potentially more effective option).

Probiotics

Probiotics can improve digestion and help keep bowel movements regular. Taking a probiotic supplement will introduce good bacteria to your digestive tract, which can help stop the spread of H. pylori and help start the process of healing your gut, especially if you’ve had to take antibiotics to kick an H. pylori infection.

You can also eat fermented foods that contain probiotics, such as:

  • kimchi
  • kombucha
  • sauerkraut
  • yogurt
  • kefir

Green tea with manuka honey

Drinking green tea with raw honey has several potential benefits for healing gastritis. Drinking warm water can help soothe the digestive tract and make digestion easier on your stomach.

An older 2015 study showed a significant difference in people with gastritis who drank tea with honey just once a week. Manuka honey has also been shown to have antibacterial properties that effectively control H. pylori.

Smaller meals

Gastritis symptoms aren’t just aggravated by what you eat; they’re also aggravated by how you eat. When you have gastritis, it’s important to make the digestive process as easy as possible for your stomach and intestines.

When you eat a big meal, it puts stress on your digestive tract to convert all of that food into energy and waste. That’s why eating smaller meals throughout the day, as opposed to loading up on carbs and calories two or three times a day, can ease the symptoms of gastritis.

Lifestyle changes

Gastritis is a risk factor for developing stomach cancer, so being especially aware of your lifestyle choices is important if you have it.

Lose weight if needed. Eliminating smoking and alcohol should improve your gastritis symptoms. Avoid using over-the-counter NSAID pain relievers, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, as these can damage your stomach lining over time.

There are symptoms of gastritis that you should never ignore or try to treat at home over the long term.

If you have a gastritis flare that lasts more than a week, or if you’re vomiting blood or have blood in your stool, you should call your doctor and seek medical attention right away.

Finding out what causes your gastritis might be the key to finding out the best ways to treat it. Gastritis can flare up and subside as a result of eating rich food, having a night of drinking, or taking too much aspirin.

It can also be a chronic condition and a precursor to more serious medical conditions. Take steps to treat your gastritis symptoms at home, and make sure to contact a medical professional if they don’t improve with home treatment after a week or two.