Gastritis is inflammation (irritation and swelling) of the stomach lining. Kids with gastritis can have stomach pain or discomfort, bloating, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, or a feeling of fullness even when they haven't eaten. Medicine and diet changes can help kids with gastritis feel better.

• Give your child any prescribed medicines as directed.
• Do not give your child ibuprofen (such as Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) or naproxen (such as Aleve^®, Naprosyn^®, or a store brand) unless the doctor says it's OK, because they can irritate the stomach.
• Small changes to the diet sometimes help.
  • Eat 5–6 small meals a day instead of 3 large meals.
  • Avoid foods that make your child feel worse. These may include spicy, acidic, or fatty foods. 
  • Avoid caffeine, which can make gastritis symptoms worse. Caffeine is in coffee, tea, many sodas, and chocolate.
• Make sure your child knows that drinking alcohol and smoking can make gastritis worse.
• Follow your health care provider's instructions for taking your child for any testing, going to see a gastroenterologist (digestive tract specialist), and when to follow up.

Your child:

• Has new or worsening belly pain, or is not feeling better with the recommended treatment
• Loses weight without intending to, or grows taller without gaining weight
• Has bloody or black poop
• Feels unusually weak or tired
• Isn't drinking at all or has signs of dehydration (not enough water in the body), such as a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, peeing less often or darker than usual pee, or crying with little or no tears

Your child:

• Has vomit that is bloody or that looks like coffee grounds
• Has severe belly pain
• Is vomiting a lot and can't keep fluids down

What causes gastritis? Sometimes the cause of gastritis isn't known. Other times it can be caused by:

• An infection due to bacteria called H. pylori
• Some medicines
• Some medical conditions that damage the lining of the stomach
• Extreme stress to the body, such as from a serious injury

How is gastritis treated? Treatment depends on the cause. Avoiding medicines and foods that irritate the stomach is an important part of treatment. The health care provider might give antibiotics if there is an infection. Other medicines can help the stomach make less acid or protect it from the acid it makes.

Does my child need tests? Sometimes other tests are needed, such as:

• Checking the blood, breath, or a sample of poop for H. pylori infection 
• Blood tests for anemia (low iron in the blood) from bleeding in the stomach
• A procedure that uses a thin camera to look more closely at the lining of the stomach (called an upper endoscopy)