Treatment:

Treatment depends on the specific cause. Some of the causes will disappear over time.

You may need to stop taking aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or other medicines that may be causing gastritis, but only after you talk with your health care provider.

You may use other over-the-counter and prescription drugs that decrease the amount of acid in the stomach, such as:

• Antacids
• H2 antagonists: famotidine (Pepsid), cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), and nizatidine (Axid)
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) -- omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), iansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (AcipHex), and pantoprazole (Protonix)

Antacids may be used to treat chronic gastritis caused by infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outlook depends on the cause, but is usually good.

Complications:

Blood loss and increased risk of gastric cancer are possible complications.

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you develop:

• Pain in the upper part of the belly or abdomen that does not go away
• Black or tarry stools
• Vomiting blood or coffee-ground-like material