Medicinal chamomile is successfully used for bladder and liver, colds and kidney pathologies, as well as for allergic reactions and gastrointestinal diseases.
Many preparations contain chamomile essential oil, which provides analgesic and anti-inflammatory, disinfectant and wound-healing effects, which makes it possible to treat gastritis and ulcerative pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
In addition, chamomile effectively fights respiratory pathologies such as pneumonia and laryngitis, bronchitis, etc. Chamomile is also included in preparations for the treatment of sore throat, stomatitis, and oral inflammation.
Thanks to chamomile's ability to have choleretic, anti-inflammatory, and antiallergic effects, its decoctions can be successfully used in the treatment of gastric pathologies.
The effectiveness of chamomile decoctions is due to the destructive effect of the plant decoction on pathogenic microorganisms that cause these pathologies and interfere with the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The use of chamomile for gastritis ensures relaxation of the gastrointestinal mucous membranes, relieves spasms and pain symptoms, heals wounds and strengthens vascular walls.
Advantages and disadvantages
Gastritis of all forms develops due to infection with Helicobacter pylori, which passes into the gastric mucosa, multiplies and negatively affects the organ. Therefore, its functions are impaired. With the use of chamomile remedies, the activity of this stick is suppressed, since chamomile is considered a natural antibiotic that protects the properties of the immune system and improves its resources. The plant has an astringent effect, which allows you to heal the mucous membrane faster.
Typically, gastritis causes pain, cramping and other signs of discomfort. Using a remedy with this plant reduces the manifestation of these symptoms. Chamomile has an antacid effect if the disease causes increased acidity, as well as belching and reflux. Medicines with this plant protect against malignant neoplasms and remove harmful toxins.
But there are also negative consequences from the constant consumption of plant flowers. This leads to inhibition of beneficial intestinal microflora, which is considered to be the cause of failure in its functioning and the appearance of other pathologies. It is not advisable to use products with the plant for allergies, as well as during pregnancy, since in these cases they can cause adverse effects.
Reviews
Elena, Tver:
I always keep chamomile flowers in reserve. I have suffered from chronic gastritis since my student days. During an exacerbation, I save myself with chamomile tea. This plant is a wonderful antiseptic. I drink tea with a little honey, although the drink tastes quite good without it.
Andrey Ivanovich, Balashikha:
At my retirement age, it’s impossible to live without illnesses, and more often chronic ones. In the past, there was a duodenal and stomach ulcer, which appeared against the background of gastritis. Now for several years now my stomach has not bothered me at all. For prevention, I take chamomile in courses once every three to four months, which is why the remission is so long. And chamomile also helped cure gastritis for my son.
Irina, Moscow:
During pregnancy, my gastritis worsened, which I had already forgotten about. You can’t take any pills, but you need to be treated. My mother-in-law suggested that I should drink chamomile tea, so I started treatment. Within a few days, the symptoms of the exacerbation completely disappeared. Now I recommend chamomile to everyone, it is safe and helps no worse than medications.
Types of gastritis and use
Read more. Chamomile infusion for gastritis helps normalize the formation of gastric juice. Chamomile for gastritis with high acidity is an antacid that lowers acidity and has an astringent effect. It also helps get rid of inflammation.
If dyspepsia is observed during the disease, then the use of chamomile infusion eliminates pathogenic microorganisms, due to which the discomfort goes away and an improvement occurs in the stomach. The plant can be used during pain. You just need to drink chamomile tea (1 glass) for the pain to disappear.
Beneficial features
Treatment with chamomile is possible if a person has gastritis with high acidity. Based on the active substance of the plant, a synthetic analogue of guaiazulene has even been created, which is included in the antacid drug. Similar medications are used if the level of hydrochloric acid in the stomach is high.
Actions for treating gastritis with chamomile:
- Anti-inflammatory (blocks the main pathogenetic link).
- Antiallergic (reduces the production of cytokines that mediate the development of an allergic reaction and inflammation).
- Local anesthetic (relieves pain).
- Regenerative (improves healing in case of chronic damage to the mucous membrane and prevents its malignancy).
- Disinfectant (kills microorganisms at the intestinal level, supposed to have a bactericidal effect against Helicobacter pylori - the main etiological factor of gastritis).
- Carminative (eliminates excess gas formation).
If you use chamomile for gastritis, you will be able to eliminate the described disorders. Pain in pathologies of the digestive tract often occurs due to inflammation or spasm of the smooth muscles of its wall. Azulene in chamomile essential oil has an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effect and relieves pain.
Heartburn is associated with increased acidity of gastric juice. The essential oil contains substances that have antacid properties (hydrochloric acid is deactivated).
Flatulence is relieved due to the antispasmodic effect, which leads to improved digestion and absorption of food, cessation of colic and relief from the feeling of discomfort in the abdomen.
If there is an infection in the stomach or indigestion, the plant helps to soothe irritated gastric walls, relieve inflammatory processes, and stimulate the synthesis of gastric juice necessary for proper digestion of food.
The anti-inflammatory properties of this plant help reduce the intensity of reflux, which allows stomach acid to enter the esophagus, leading to inflammation.
Herbal preparations with chamomile extract reduce stomach acidity, acting as an antacid in the body.
Chamomile tea can be used to relieve stress, as it is often an aggravating factor in acid reflux (the more severe form of reflux, gastroesophageal disease (GERD)). Thus, this tea may also help reduce or prevent reflux episodes that are associated with stress.
For stomach and duodenal ulcers, for various forms of gastritis (erosive, atrophic, gastroduodenitis and others), chamomile helps destroy pathogenic microflora, working as a natural antibiotic. Thanks to the presence of a huge number of different essential oils, the inflammation process is stopped, and severe pain and cramps in the abdominal area are relieved.
The astringent property of this herb helps the mucous membrane recover faster.
Chamomile removes dangerous toxins from the body, thereby reducing the risk of malignant tumors. Substances in the plant help dilate blood vessels, normalizing blood flow and thereby eliminating internal swelling.
The healing properties of the plant help relax the mucous membrane, get rid of fermentation processes, reduce the formation of gases and improve the functioning of the digestive organs.
Also, the flowers of the plant have a choleretic effect, which is important for normalizing the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The ability of this plant to suppress the activity of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori helps improve immunity and stimulates the growth of its resources.
Decoction
Chamomile for gastritis is used in different ways. But only the attending physician can prescribe the appropriate treatment method. Each of the means used allows you to obtain a medicinal effect from the plant. Chamomile decoction for gastritis is considered a very effective remedy. To obtain it, you need dried flowers (1 tbsp), which are filled with boiled water (1 glass). The decoction should steep for 15 minutes.
It should be consumed 2 times daily before meals. There is another option for preparing a medicinal product: you need dried flowers, which are filled with cold water. The mixture must be brought to a boil. Its therapeutic effect will be the same. After cooling, the composition is ready for use.
Composition of chamomile
The benefits of the plant are related to its medicinal composition.
Chamomile contains monoterpene oils, prochamazulene and chamazulene, plant vitamins, and alcohols. These components have anti-inflammatory, disinfecting and soothing effects. Therefore, chamomile has a healing effect for gastritis. You just need to use it correctly. The inflorescences contain less than 1% dark blue essential oil. During storage, the color turns green, then brown due to oxidation in air.
Flower baskets contain:
- essential oil containing chamazulene (the main active ingredient);
- flavone glycoside apiin (antispasmodic effect);
- dioxycoumarins (when raw materials rot, dicoumarol is formed from them, which has strong anticoagulant properties);
- herniarin (provides disinfectant properties);
- phytosterols (antioxidant effect, reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine);
- choline (vitamin-like substance, hepatoprotector);
- ascorbic acid (anticoagulant);
- carotene (precursor of vitamin A, antioxidant, immunostimulant);
- tannins;
- gum (astringent effect).
Essential oil increases breathing and heart rate, reduces muscle tone, and has a choleretic and antiallergic effect. Chamomile glycosides relax smooth muscles and relieve spasms. Chamomile is a sedative, carminative, and general pain reliever.
Tincture
For gastritis, chamomile can be used in this form. To do this you will need dried flowers (1 tbsp.), boiling water (250 ml.). Everything should be infused in a thermos for 2.5 hours. The infusion should be used warm, ¼ glass 3-4 times a day before meals.
A cold infusion is also effective, for the preparation of which you will need dried flowers (1-2 tbsp.). They are filled with chilled boiled water (1 glass). The product is infused for 10 hours. It should be consumed before meals.
You can use an alcohol tincture, for the preparation of which you need to fill the flowers with vodka in an amount of 1/10. After this, the mixture should infuse for 3 weeks in a dark place. It needs to be shaken periodically. Treatment involves consuming 2 tbsp. infusion after meals. A full course of treatment will help get rid of the symptoms of the disease.
Recipes and rules for using chamomile remedies for gastritis
Chamomile tea or decoction is almost always used to treat gastritis. The difference between these means is that tea is prepared by pouring hot water over dry flowers and brewing without boiling for a certain time, while the decoction is boiled over a fire for a while.
The decoction is usually more concentrated than tea.
Separately, we talked about how to prepare classic chamomile preparations:
- Chamomile tea;
- Decoction;
- Camomile tea…
For gastritis, you need to drink 1 glass 2-3 times a day, preferably before meals, so that the remedy acts on the surface of the gastric mucosa free from food bolus. If you drink the product after eating, it will mix with food and the effect of its use will be blurry.
Also very often in folk medicine for the treatment of gastritis, herbal mixtures are used, which include chamomile flowers. Here are just a few of their recipes:
- A classic recipe for the treatment of gastritis - mix 10 g of chamomile flowers, yarrow herb, wormwood herb, peppermint leaves and sage leaves. The resulting mixture is poured with boiling water, based on the ratio of 2 teaspoons of the product to 1 glass of boiling water, left for 30 minutes and filtered. Take it 0.5 cups, pre-heated, 30 minutes before meals, 2 times a day;
- Chamomile flowers, peppermint herb, juniper berries, St. John's wort and centauria herbs are mixed in equal parts. Boil 4 tablespoons of the resulting mixture in 1 liter of water for 10 minutes, then remove from heat, cool, filter and drink 1 glass 3 times a day half an hour before meals;
- Chamomile and lemon balm are mixed in equal parts and steamed with boiling water for 30 minutes in the ratio of 3 tablespoons of the mixture per glass of boiling water. It is drunk in the same way as the previous remedy.
There are also recipes using calendula and plantain, and sometimes chamomile infusion is added to milk, but such options are less known and their safety has not been so well studied.
It is also useful to read: Does chamomile help with cystitis and how is it recommended to be taken for this disease in folk medicine?
Chamomile is included in a variety of gastrointestinal herbal preparations, including those used for gastritis.
One of the standard fees for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Often chamomile remedies (especially strong ones) are prepared with honey to slightly smooth out the bitterness imparted to the drug by the chamomile itself. With gastritis this is quite acceptable.
In all these recipes, you can use both raw chamomile, sold in loose form, and chamomile flowers in bags. When using filter bags, you should remember that one teaspoon of chamomile contains 3 grams of dried flowers. Different amounts of chamomile are packaged in different bags from different manufacturers (from 1.5 to 5 g per bag), so a separate recalculation has to be done for each product.
The course of treatment with chamomile lasts as long as the patient feels abdominal pain. For acute gastritis, chamomile preparations should be taken, as a rule, for 4-5 days, after which the disease ends. For a chronic disease, the doctor will indicate how long you should drink chamomile, how to combine it with other medications, and when to take it during the day to avoid undesirable effects on the action of other medications.
Other ways to use chamomile for gastritis, other than taking it orally, are not known.
Tea
Another effective way. For gastritis, chamomile tea will be a remedy that will help you get rid of spasms and pain. You only need 1 glass, which should be drunk with the onset of attacks so that the discomfort disappears.
To prepare tea, you will need chamomile flowers (1.5 tsp), which are poured with boiling water (1 cup). Everything should infuse for 10-12 minutes, after which the drink is ready to drink. You need to drink it in small sips. If desired, honey is added to the tea, which has a healing antibacterial effect.
There is another recipe for making tea. The flowers need to be mixed with peppermint in a ratio of 1/1, pour boiling water over it. Let everything sit for 10-15 minutes. After this, the tea can be consumed in small sips. Chamomile goes well with lemon balm. You can also use the decoction with honey (1 tsp). Chamomile tea eliminates the symptoms of gastritis. You can also use sweet clover, St. John's wort, and plantain, as these herbs have a healing effect and relieve inflammation, swelling, and pain.
Preparation and storage
Flowers are medicinal raw materials for internal use. Harvesting begins during the dry season from June to August. At this time, a high concentration of essential oil is present in the plant. For external use, chamomile is harvested whole. Harvesting occurs at the same time.
The raw materials must be dried in the shade. It is necessary to control the quality ventilation of the room. If a dryer is used, its temperature should not exceed 40 degrees. When drying, do not turn the raw materials over so that the petals do not fall off.
The raw material is used for a year, and then it is better not to use it, as you will not achieve the desired effect. Chamomile should be stored in clothes or paper bags in a dark, dry place. This is how it retains its beneficial properties. The plant has a strong specific aroma, so it should not be placed near foods that absorb odors. Nowadays chamomile can be prepared or purchased at a pharmacy.
Contraindications
Although chamomile treatment for gastritis is effective, you need to be aware of contraindications to the use of this herb. It should not be used by people with low acidity. If you often use chamomile tea, constipation and intestinal dysbiosis are likely to occur. If a patient has mental disorders, he should not be offered products with this herb, since it has a stimulating effect and irritates the nervous system.
Chamomile should not be taken during menstruation, as it can cause heavy bleeding. In case of kidney disease, the drug is also prohibited from use, because there is a risk of complications. Symptoms of overdose include severe headache, dizziness, nausea. You can use chamomile only after consulting your doctor.
Tips and tricks
In order for medications, including those of herbal origin, to act with maximum effect, you will need to give up bad habits and observe dietary restrictions, monitor your diet and eat healthy foods.
It is necessary to discuss with your doctor all changes in well-being , both negative and positive, so that therapy brings quick and high-quality changes. Discuss with your doctor other folk remedies, for example: propolis tinctures, aloe with honey, sea buckthorn oil, rose hip decoction, etc.
Exceeding the dosage of any drug, as well as self-medication, can worsen the condition - this must be kept in mind.
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