Treatment of gastritis with herbs: erosive, atrophic, with increased and decreased acidity

To medicinal herbs, mankind has long had a respectful and confidential attitude. In those times when medicine was inaccessible to many and not very developed as a science, people, observing the effect on the organism of those or other plants, were established in their healing properties and used to get rid of various ailments. Later, their therapeutic effect was confirmed by a laboratory method. The modern world does not fully rely on herbal medicine, but they always have a place in the complex or preventive measures. There are many medicinal herbs used for the treatment of gastritis.

What herbs can be used for gastritis?

Under the diagnosis of "gastritis" means a malfunction in the stomach, accompanied by weight, pain in the epigastric region, belching, heartburn, nausea and other unpleasant symptoms. This is a sign of inflammation of the mucosa provoked by various causes. Identification of them is impossible without a thorough examination by specialists who classify the disease and prescribe treatment, including determine which herbs are available for this type of gastritis. In some cases, the herbs must have astringent and enveloping action, neutralize secretion, in others - increase acidity and stimulate gastric motility, heal ulcers and erosion.

Useful herbs for gastritis

Each plant has its own chemical composition, depending on which its effect on the focus of pathology is manifested. With the diversity of the medicinal plant world, which comes to the aid of the sick stomach, it is impossible not to distinguish the following:

• Yarrow - abundantly populating fields and wastelands, with white inflorescences collected in umbrellas, has long proved its beneficial effect on the body. Its strength lies in its composition: resins and essential oils determine its antiseptic effect, carotene promotes visual acuity, vitamin C is a known antioxidant, vitamin K participates in the blood, besides it contains amino acids, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, polysaccharides, microelements . Such qualities make the plant in demand in surgery, gynecology, traumatology and gastroenterology. With gastritis, it renders bactericidal, analgesic, strengthens the walls of the stomach, spasmolytic, healing, hemostatic, appetite-stimulating remedy;
• St. John's wort - rich in tannic, resinous substances, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, carotene, essential oil. The therapeutic effect on the stomach is covered in anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent action, in regenerative processes. It is active as an antispasmodic against smooth muscle of the stomach, has a good restorative property;

A useful herb with one kind of gastritis is capable of doing harm to another. Therefore, the herbs are selected individually taking into account pathogenetics and the reasons for its occurrence. Let us consider more specifically the therapeutic effect of the most effective medicinal plants on various forms of the disease:

• with acute gastritis - the condition is accompanied by bouts of pain, nausea. The task of natural remedies is to provide analgesic and spasmolytic effects. For this use peppermint, lemon balm, chamomile, wild rosemary, thyme, willow-tea, Kalanchoe, hawthorn, motherwort, hop cones;
• with chronic gastritis - not cured properly acute gastritis often turns into a chronic form. Depending on the pH level, it can occur with increased or decreased acidity. Both forms can cause a chronic course of the disease. Herbs with gastritis with excessive secretion of gastric juice other than with insufficient:
  • with increased acidity will come to the aid of St. John's wort, yarrow, dill, sea buckthorn oil, a decoction of chamomile, ara. Treatment of exacerbation of this gastritis is well suited to sea buckthorn. Her oil not only reduces the production of hydrochloric acid, but also has a healing, antimicrobial effect, accelerates the regeneration of the intragastric epithelium, normalizes the motility of the organ;
  • reduced acidity requires the restoration of the synthesis of enzymes, eliminating the causes of low secretion. Plantain handles this task well. It contains a complex of biologically active substances that increase the secretory function of the stomach. Its juice in combination with honey gives good healing results. The juice of cabbage, berries of Kalina are also effective. Beneficial to normalize the functions of the stomach such herbs, such as yarrow, bitter wormwood, lemon balm, chamomile medicinal;

• at an atrophic gastritis - a condition when degenerative-dystrophic changes occur in the epithelial layers of the gastric mucosa. It is difficult to treat, but the use of alternative methods, including herbs, improves well-being, triggers the activation of organ motility and the elimination of stagnant phenomena. Effective in this case is recognized oats. From its crushed grain to the powder state, an infusion is prepared, the course of therapy which should last at least a month. Apply also flaxseed, sea buckthorn oil. A tangible effect is also provided by such herbs: plantain, elderberry, chamomile, mint, lemon balm, fennel, linden flowers, St. John's wort, wormwood, burdock leaves, parsley root and ayr;
• with erosive gastritis - a fairly serious disease that affects not only the surface layers of the epithelium, but also deeper. He brings suffering to the sick, annoying pain that occurs on an empty stomach and after eating, nausea, often vomiting, problems with stools. Danger of bleeding, which can lead to death. Cure it by applying some herbs will not succeed, but herbal medicine in the complex treatment is quite appropriate. To do this, resort to plants with a pronounced healing effect: St. John's wort, plantain, calamus, calendula, horsetail field, marsh swine. Also effective are aloe juice, Kalanchoe, flax seed, various vegetable oils with an uncontested leader - sea-buckthorn. It heals erosion, relieves inflammation and pain, protects the mucous membrane, enveloping it;
• with reflux gastritis - a form of disease in which the contents of the duodenum enter the stomach together with aggressive acids that irritate the inner wall of the organ and cause inflammation. In this case, the grass will come to the aid: a dandelion, a rhizome of ayr marsh, peppermint, calendula, oregano, chamomile, celery, St. John's wort;
• with gastritis and ulcer of the stomach - most often the ulcer is formed due to excessive increase in acid and bile both against a background of chronic gastritis and acute. On the walls of the stomach there is a single damage, few of them a few. It makes itself felt except for the usual gastritis symptoms of hungry and nocturnal pains. The goal of the treatment is to restore the acid balance, heal wounds, cover the inner shell of the stomach with a wrapping film. Herbs cope with this: leaves of watercress (infusion), yarrow, buckthorn, thyme, sea buckthorn, licorice roots, chamomile, celandine, yarrow, elecampane, pine cones, aloe, cabbage juice;
• with heartburn and gastritis - heartburn is provoked by the ejection of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus and causes a lot of trouble for a person. To treat this phenomenon, mother-and-stepmother, calendula, chamomile, wormwood, and root of calamus are used. With the elimination of inflammation, the normalization of the acidity of the stomach disappears and this problem.

Herbal collection for gastritis

Most often as a phytotherapy for the treatment of pathologies of digestive organs, not monotherapy, but herbal collections from various specially selected medicinal plants in a strictly calculated proportion, suitable for the specific form of the disease, is used. In pharmacy chains such mixtures of herbs are sold under the numbers:

• gastric collection 1 - is designed to treat inflammation, reduce acidity in gastritis with increased. Consists of the following herbs:
  • sporish or mountaineer bird - has antimicrobial, astringent, anti-inflammatory properties, promotes healing of wounds;
  • calendula - accelerates the process of regeneration of the mucosa, relaxes the smooth muscle structure of the stomach;
  • yarrow - eliminates spasms, pain syndrome, improves digestion, improves appetite, restores metabolic processes;
  • leaves of plantain - is an effective anti-inflammatory agent, relieves inflammation, pain, cleanses the blood;
  • field horsetail - disinfects, is effective against bacteria and inflammations;
  • St. John's wort - removes inflammation, raises mood, normalizes stool;
  • immortelle - have an enveloping, anti-inflammatory effect, enhance peristalsis;
  • lemon balm, mint - relieve spasms, improve the motor skills and functions of the digestive system, eliminate flatulence, improve appetite;
  • ivan-tea - fights inflammation, envelops mucous membranes;
  • chamomile - stimulates the digestive process, quenches pain, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, reduces gassing;
  • nettle - increases the tone of the digestive tract, normalizes metabolic processes;
• gastric collection 2 - indicated for the treatment of functional dyspepsia, is used as an element of the complex treatment of ulcers and inflammations, to eliminate flatulence. It is intended for the treatment of gastritis with low acidity. Contains a complex of biologically active substances, irritating the walls of the stomach and enhancing their motor skills. Has antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, choleretic effect. These functions are provided by the following composition:
  • chamomile;
  • peppermint;
  • flowers of marigold;
  • yarrow;
  • St. John's Wort.

Decoction and infusion of herbs in gastritis

In addition to knowing the pharmacodynamics of each herb, you need to know how to prepare it properly. The most convenient and safe form of phytopreparations are their decoctions and infusions. They do not use any chemicals and preserve most of the beneficial vitamins and trace elements. For preparation of broths and infusions with gastritis enameled, glass, porcelain or stainless steel dishes are used. Decoctions are prepared from rough and hard parts of plants: roots, rhizomes, and infusions from soft: leaves, flowers, stems. Decoctions are more slowly absorbed, but last longer. On average, a tablespoon of dry medicinal raw material is taken on a glass of water, poured with water and aged on a water bath: broths - half an hour, infusions - a quarter of an hour. The first ones are filtered through gauze in a hot form, the latter in a chilled one. Herbal preparations containing various parts of plants are usually cooked in a water bath or in a thermos.

[1], [2]

Herbs for gastritis for children

Many parents prefer the treatment of gastritis in children with alternative methods. Among them is phytotherapy. Herbs that are trustworthy include chamomile, licorice, althea root, St. John's Wort, plantain, mint. Their concentration in the broths and infusions for children is lower. If the average dose of dry raw materials for adults is a tablespoon per glass of water, then the tea is taken for the children and the infusion can be diluted with boiled water. Regarding the age from which you can take broths and tinctures, then each grass has it's own. For example, chamomile is used from the age of one child, plantain is recommended to start with two, St. John's wort, yarrow - with 5-6, calendula can not be used until 12 years.

Use during pregnancy

Herbal treatment is considered by many to be an absolutely safe procedure and often pregnant women replace them with medicines, trying not to harm the fetus. But this is far from the case. The use of a number of herbs during pregnancy can provoke a miscarriage. Under the prohibition of such herbs as field horsetail, sporish, St. John's wort, calendula, yarrow, nettle in the last trimester of bearing a child. Before applying herbal medicine, you need to scrupulously study all the recommendations and even give up herbal fees if they have an unwanted component.

Contraindications for use

Despite the relative safety of many herbs, each of them has its own contraindications. So, the field horsetail can not be taken to people with diagnoses of nephritis and nephrosis, because it irritates the renal parenchyma; plantain is banned with a tendency to thrombosis, high acidity of the stomach. St. John's wort increases blood pressure, calendula, melissa are dangerous with bradycardia and low blood pressure, yarrow does not take with angina and hypotension, nettle is contraindicated in thrombophlebitis, atherosclerosis, hypertension. What herbs can not be with gastritis? It is an antagonist herb that is capable of provoking activation of the gastric glands with increased acidity, with a reduced inhibition of their function.

[3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8]

Side effects

Any herb is capable of causing allergies with increased sensitivity to it. Therefore, you should start treatment cautiously, in small doses, watching yourself. Rashes on the skin, itching, redness, swelling - a signal to stop. Other side effects are associated with the disregard of contraindications and may respond to a deterioration in health status from those bodies that fall under their negative impact. So, St. John's wort, cucumber, yarrow can lower the pressure, licorice - raise, wormwood - cause convulsions and hallucinations.

Dosing and Administration

Therapeutic broths for gastritis are drunk on an empty stomach 15-30 minutes before meals three times a day. When hyperacid they should be warm, hypocidal - at room temperature. The average single dose for adults - 100 gr., Children - 50-70gr. Before use, it is best to study the dosage instructions for a particular herb or collection. Overdosing is fraught with allergic manifestations and atypical symptoms for you. In this case, it is necessary to interrupt phytotherapy and, if necessary, seek medical help from a doctor.

[9], [10], [11], [12], [13]

Interactions with other drugs

The use of certain herbs weakens the effect of the therapeutic action of other drugs, and in some cases they are generally incompatible. So, the herb of St. John's wort is not used simultaneously with antibiotics. Plantain reduces the effectiveness of antacids. Calendula, on the contrary, strengthens the influence of anti-inflammatory and choleretic drugs, including those based on chamomile and yarrow, and melissa - drugs that depress the central nervous system.

Storage conditions

Properly harvested herbs require special storage conditions. It should be a dry, well-ventilated dark place with a humidity of 13% and a temperature of 10-18 ⁰ C. Different parts of plants are stored separately: flowers and leaves can be mixed and kept in paper or cloth bags, plants with a strong odor - in glass or ceramic dishes, cooked drugs - in the refrigerator.

Shelf life

Long-term storage of phytopreparations leads to loss of their activity. Optimal shelf life for leaves, buds, flowers is 1-2 years, fruits - 2-3 years, roots, rhizomes, bark - no more than 3 years. Cooked infusions and decoctions are not stored for long, their maximum shelf life is 3 days.