Once diagnosed, gastritis takes as long as four to six weeks to heal. If you're not better in six weeks, call your doctor again. It gets red and oozy and inflamed with little red capillary spots, and it can bleed profusely. So ulcers are much more serious. Not to sound alarming, but since many women with gastritis eventually get ulcers, it's prudent to control gastritis when it first occurs, says Dr. Dimick.
Women often take aspirin and nonsteroidal medications for menstrual cramps.
More often, though, a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori , or H. pylori , is associated with gastritis. This spiral-shaped bacteria burrows through the protective mucous lining of the stomach and may allow the stomach lining to become inflamed, which can lead to gastritis and often ulcers, says Dr. Borum. If your doctor has confirmed that your problem is gastritis, and not something else, there are a few comfort measures that you can take to minimize symptoms and prevent recurrent episodes. It doesn't irritate the stomach the way aspirin does. Suppress the acid.