How long does it take to cure chronic gastritis?

Ah, gastritis. The fiery pit of despair that lives within our bellies, causing endless discomfort and shameless cravings for Tums. And when it becomes chronic? Well, let’s just say it feels like a never-ending acid trip – but without the fun parts.

So you’ve been diagnosed with chronic gastritis (congratulations on having a fancy illness name), and now you’re standing in front of Dr.Google asking “how long does it take to cure this thing?” Lucky for you, dear reader, I’m here to attempt an answer while making you laugh along the way (no refunds if laughter causes stomach pains).

What is Chronic Gastritis?

Before we tackle how long it takes to get better from something, let’s define what that ‘something’ actually is. Chronic gastritis is defined as inflammation of your stomach lining (gastro-=stomach; -itis=inflammation) that sticks around longer than 3 months (that’s longer than most relationships these days). It can cause symptoms such as:

  • Pain or burning sensation in your upper abdomen
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Bloating
  • Indigestion (if only we could find someone who would digest our exes for us…any takers? No? Okay then.)

These symptoms can lead to other fun conditions like ulcers and even cancer if left untreated. So basically chronic gastritis is the party guest no one wants hanging around too long.

Why Do I Have Chronic Gastritis?

Now onto some possible reasons why your belly lining hates your guts (pun intended):

H.Pylori

Nope, not Harry Potter’s beloved owl Hedwig (although he’d probably bring more cheer than this little guy). Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that can infect your stomach lining, causing chronic gastritis (ermagerd, GERMS!). This infection can happen through contaminated food or water or through direct contact with infected vomit (??!!).

Regular Intake of NSAIDs

NSAIDs are painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen that we pop for every ache and pain (guilty). However, regular use of these meds can irritate your stomach lining over time – leading to well..chronic gastritis.

Alcohol Abuse

Whoopsie daisy. Too much alcohol intake damages the lining our guts too (who would’ve thought?) by increasing the amount acid production in our stomachs.

Okay then… How Long Does It Take To Cure Chronic Gastritis?

Through extensive research involving how many ginger ale cans I could down in one sitting and prolonged online quizzes relating me most closely to a burrito flavor (#TeamCarnitas), here’s what I’ve come up with:

THERE IS NO ONE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION!

I know, I know – you were hoping for some clear cut answer so you could plan out your next year/month/week/bathroom trip accordingly(while praying there won’t be any accidents due to all the Tums breaks needed along the way). But alas (we’re using old English now) every case is different as it depends on factors such as:

  • The cause of your chronic gastritis
  • How long you’ve had it before diagnosis
  • Your individual bodily response to treatments

To give you an idea though, let’s go through some possible cure options from least invasive to most invasive/tedious/most likely to have Googled multiple times while suffering during a 2am bathroom break.

Lifestyle Changes

Simple changes may help reduce symptoms/slow down the progress of chronic gastritis.

  • Eating smaller, more frequent meals
  • Avoiding trigger foods (byyyye spicy tacos)
  • Reducing alcohol intake
  • Regular exercise

Take note that these changes are not guaranteed to heal you but hey, it’s a step in the less painful direction for some (and if your bedrest now involves eating more frequently without judgement – well…silver linings right?)

Medication

Medication options depend on cause/duration/pain rating of one’s chronic gastritis. Some over-the-counter medications include:

  • Antacids (Tums/Rolaids/PeptoBismol – oh my!)
  • Histamine blockers (Zantac/Targinact/Ultilloc) (I know all this jargon is causing nausea but bear with me here)
    Proton pump inhibitors (Prevacid/Nexium/Omeprazole).

For those who aren’t cured by Tums alone, prescription medication may also help reduce inflammation brought about by H.Pylori bacteria or other possible causes.

Surgery

In severe cases where lifestyle change and medication have been deemed unsuccessful surgery can be done. The types of surgeries that address various issues related to chronic gastritis are many and varied (lotsa potential ‘oopsies’ there) so we won’t go into details except to say none of them sound fun at all (#homeremediesFTW).

Okay You Furry Jerk, What’s Your Point Then?

Well dear reader I’m declaring que sera sera when it comes to figuring out how long it’ll take to cure one’s own caseeselves (just trying new word arrangements here) Luckily though! Early diagnosis & management/care can make all the difference so if anything is off inside your gutsville go see a doctor already (if only Dr.Google could reach inside our tummy for us -where’s the App for that?).

And remember, dear readers. After all these possible cures/lengths of treatment may/may not have worked: just because our stomachs are against us now doesn’t mean they always will be (unless you’re living off French fries then…well good luck to you!)

To sum it up, seek physician-determined care from (qualified) medical professionals to help diagnose & treat chronic gastritis, oh also….I lied earlier THIS is the END OF THE ARTICLE BWAHAHA (#Gotem)

Disclaimers and apologies :
1.Pun levels excessive today so if one finds themselves annoyed- well I apologize..for this article.
2.Do NOT in any way take this “comedic” analysis as fact based medical advice whatsoever. This was written purely with entertainment purposes in mind- Seek legit medical advice.

3.Always eat tacos responsibly.

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