Duration of an inflammation of the gastric mucosa
Acute gastritis can subside within days, sometimes even without treatment.If certain rules of conduct are followed, each person affected can accelerate and positively influence the healing process himself; first and foremost, a change in lifestyle is important: stress reduction, as well as a balanced diet, avoidance of nicotine, alcohol and other substances that additionally damage the stomach lining promotes the healing process. More difficult and longer-lasting than in the case of acute gastritis will be the treatment of chronic gastritis. Since chronic gastritis can have various causes, the inflammation can also last for varying lengths of time.
If the cause is an autoimmune disease, i.e. type A gastritis, the body no longer recognizes certain cells of the gastric mucosa as endogenous and begins to fight them like a pathogen. In this case, a lifelong therapy is necessary, as the body’s own immune system will repeatedly attack the cells. A final cure is not possible here.
The most common form is type B gastritis. Here, bacteria are the cause of the inflammation of the stomach mucosa. The best known and most important representative is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
Here the therapy lasts up to several weeks, which can achieve a cure and the affected person will be free of symptoms again. However, since the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is very widespread and can easily get back into the stomach via infected food, this type of gastritis can reoccur. Common to all forms is the rule of thumb that the longer the symptoms have existed and the more severe and pronounced the inflammation of the gastric mucosa has been, the longer the therapy usually takes until the symptoms subside. In addition, the healing process can be positively influenced by a stress-free lifestyle and a healthy and balanced diet in the case of gastritis. This means that above all alcohol, fatty food or acidic foods should be avoided in order to accelerate the recovery.
