Non-pharmacological approaches toward the management of gastritis

Abstract

Gastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach (gastric mucosa), and has many possible causes, including an infection, irritant, autoimmune disorder, or backflow of bile and intestinal juice into the stomach (Smith and Watson, 2005). Contributing factors include medications, sepsis, smoking, and <i>Heliobacter pylori</i> (<i>H. pylori</i>) (Smith and Watson, 2005). Gastritis can occur suddenly (acute gastritis) or gradually (chronic gastritis) and can impair the health-related quality of life of patients. As with many other areas of gastrointestinal (GI) illness, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and therapy have become increasingly popular with gastritis patients because of the popular perception that ‘natural’ products are safer and have a lower risk of causing side effects. This paper examines the nonpharmacological approaches in the management of gastritis.