Recently I decided to do some research into gastritis and stomach flu again. Having been a victim of a few bouts of gastritis myself, and hearing different people saying different things about it, I thought it'll help if I present a little explanation about gastritis(commonly called gastric(in Singapore)) and stomach flu(which some people say it's the same as gastritis)
Gastritis
Gastritis is an inflammation or irritation of the lining of the stomach. In chinese, we commonly call it 胃痛.
Causes: It can be caused by many things(refer to web links below) but infrequent meals or skipping meals is never mentioned as one of the causes. However, many people think infrequent meals is the main cause of gastritis. What is possible(in my own understanding/theory) is that infrequent meals may cause confusion in the secretion of acid and hence, the stomach may overproduce acid at different times, causing gastritis. Some people say stress is one of the causes but that is still not 100% proven medically. But I certainly think it is one of the possible causes.
Symptoms: A pain in the upper abdomen, slightly to the left. Sometimes there might be diarrhoea, and vomitting. (note: while there is an overproduction of acid, it is also strange that there is indigestion at the same time) So one can also feel bloated, and nauseous.
Treatment: Usually with antacid(eg: actal). Other stronger medicine may not be readily available at a pharmacy unless you have a prescription. Antacid is not really effective for me for quick relief. I've tried stronger medicine like ranitidine and it works really quick.
Home remedy: I haven't tried any of these so try it at your own risk. This( website ) claims that taking ginger, coconut water, potato juice etc helps.
The MILK myth: Ok. This is one thing I've heard over and over again. Many people say taking milk helps because it is alkaline. I myself heard it doesn't help because although it is alkaline, it eventually forms lactic acid. My research showed I was wrong too. So does MILK really helps? Apparently it doesn't. Why? Because first of all, MILK is slightly ACIDIC. It has a PH of 6.4 to 6.8. Secondly, it contains protein and calcium, and each are stimulants of gastric-acid secretion.
So what can one do when he has a gastric attack? Take antacid and hope it relieves/cure the ailment. If it doesn't, see a doctor. If a doc is not available, your best bet is to sip water(take oral salts if you're having diarrhoea so that you do not get dehydrated), take some stuff that aid in indigestion(eg: ENO), get ready to vomit, and wait it out. It does disappear over time(especially when most people encounter non-serious cases of gastritis most of the time. Serious cases will include blood in stools or vomit).
Links:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/gastritis/article_em.htm
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/gastritis-000067.htm
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