ASUHAN KEPERAWATAN

Does a gastritis diet help in controlling or treating gastritis? Let's find out more!

Gastritis is a condition where the lining of the stomach gets irritated and inflamed. It is not a disease but a condition which may be caused due to various medical conditions too. Excessive drinking of alcohol or continuous use of anti inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen or aspirin can also be responsible for this condition.

Other reasons to cause this condition include traumatic injury, severe infections, major surgery or even burns. Some disease like anemia, chronic reflux and auto immune disorders have also caused this condition.

Since this condition is related chiefly to the stomach, it is but natural that what we eat can play a major role in aggravating or soothing this condition. There are people who believe that a gastritis diet may actually help treat it.

Let us start with a few basic tips that may help you ease your discomfort:

* Stick to your regular meals. Eating too often or between meals can aggravate acidity
* Limit your dairy intake and even then switch to low fat or no fat products
* Pepper and chilies of all kinds and all states should be avoided along with alcohol
* Limit your caffeine intake. If possible avoid it all together. This means steer clear of coffee, tea, chocolates, colas and cocoa
* Tomatoes, citrus juices and fatty foods irritate the lining and can cause heartburn
* Avoid garlic, onions cinnamon and cloves if they cause irritation
* High fiber food like whole grains beans, fruits and vegetables is good for the stomach
* It would be easy on your stomach if you could avoid foods causing gas, like cabbage, milk peas etc.

With trial and error you will know which foods suit you better and which cause pain or irritation.

Some other things that you can take care about are:

* Eat slowly and chew your food completely. This will help in digestion and will prevent irritation.
* Always eat a little less that you want to. This will help keep the stomach easy
* Smaller meals are easy on the stomach. So eat small meals every few hours
* Avoid spicy food; this includes peppers, chilies and pungent spices
* Avoid fatty food, deep fried stuff, pickled, salty and salted foods
* Vinegar and caffeine drinks are also best not taken


Have a look at foods to avoid and foods to take:

Include: wheat bran, fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, leafy vegetables, coconut water, banana, carrot juice, molasses, almonds, raw apples and tomatoes, papaya etc.

Exclude: alcohol, coffee, whole milk, meat, cream, pork, soda, citrus juices, spicy food, broccoli beans etc.

When the stomach is having a bad time:

* Try some plain low fat yogurt
* Combine spinach and carrot juice and drink to calm it

Consult your doctor if you are taking medicines like ibuprofen and aspirin. Take care of your diet and help relieve the pain and suffering caused by this condition. A proper gastritis diet combined with stress management should give you good results.

The best gastritis diet is a day to day diet that prevents gastritis. Go to http://www.perfecthealthfit.com to find out more.

By Damien Stephens