Many of us know what an ulcer feels like, Right?
The burning sensation, discomfort, nausea, vomiting. But, very few of us know what an ulcer is.
Ulcers are these sores that develop on the inner lining of the stomach, small intestine, and even the oesophagus! Intestinal ulcers are called duodenal ulcers, similarly, stomach and oesophageal ulcers are known as gastric and oesophageal ulcers respectively.
Ulcer Symptoms
- Blazing stomach pain
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Feeling of fullness, bloating or belching
- Intolerance to fatty foods
The most regular peptic ulcer indication is burning stomach pain. Stomach acid makes the pain more serious, as does having an unfilled stomach. The pain can often be eased by eating certain foods that buffer the stomach acid or by taking an acid-reducing remedy. But then it may retaliate. The discomfort may be more critical between feeds and at night.
Numerous people with peptic ulcers may not even show symptoms.
Less often, ulcers may provoke severe signs or symptoms such as:
- Vomiting blood or vomiting— which may resemble reddish or blackish
- Stools that are blackish or tarry or Dark blood in stools
- Unusual weight loss
- Trouble breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Feeling faint
- Appetite changes
Now that we know what ulcers are, let’s understand the main causes behind them.
What are the causes of ulcer?
The causative agent of most ulcers is Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) which is a bacterium and the condition is only worsened by the acids found in the food we eat especially spicy foods. High amounts of stress and long-term use of anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin can enhance the development of Ulcer.
Consuming certain other medications along with NSAIDs, such as steroids, anticoagulants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel), can greatly increase the chance of developing ulcers.
Understanding the condition and the causes of such a condition is extremely important to prevent or treat medical conditions such as ulcers.
Now, that we’ve understood what causes ulcer in mouth, we know that the diet plays an important role in both preventing and maintaining the condition instead of it getting worse.
So, for obvious reasons preventing the ulcer is the best thing and for that, you need to prevent the bacteria from proliferating in your body and infecting you. The best way to fight or prevent infection is always from the inside- changing your diet is the perfect solution.
Ulcer Treatment
1. Medications
- Antibiotics. If the ulcer is caused by H. pylori bacteria, antibiotics can counteract the ulcer. Usually, the physician will prescribe triple or quadruple therapy, which combines several antibiotics with heartburn drugs.
- Proton pump inhibitors. PPIs are acid reducers. These remedies include omeprazole (Prilosec) and esomeprazole (Nexium).
- H2 blockers. Certain pills are also named histamine receptor blockers or H2-receptor antagonists. They obstruct a natural chemical called histamine, which commands the stomach to make acid. H2 blockers include ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), and cimetidine (Tagamet).
- Bismuth. This medication traverses the ulcer and defends it from stomach acid. It can also assist to kill H. pylori infections. Doctors usually prescribe it with antibiotics.
- Antacids. They may relieve the symptoms for a short time, but they don’t treat ulcers. Consuming an antacid can also retain antibiotics from operating. Speak to your physician before taking an antacid for peptic ulcer disease.
2. Surgery
In case the patient has a serious ulcer that keeps resurfacing and doesn’t get better with medication, the doctor may advise surgery.
The patient may need emergency surgery if they have a bleeding ulcer (also called a hemorrhaging ulcer). The specialist will try to distinguish the source of bleeding (usually a tiny artery at the root of the ulcer) and fix it. The patient may need emergency surgery to block a perforated ulcer or pits in the wall of the stomach or duodenum (the first part of the small intestine).
Some people opt for surgery to lessen the quantity of stomach acid their body puts out. Before you do that, have an in-depth consultation with your doctor about the possible complexities. Your ulcer could come back, it could cause problems with your liver, or you could get ”dumping syndrome,” which causes chronic abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, or sweating after eating.
Bacteria fighting foods to prevent ulcers
The best foods to prevent a bacterial infection are – fruits, veggies, and probiotics-something that we’ve all heard is super healthy for you.
The foods to include in your diet are:
- Fruits
- Vegetables such as
- Cauliflower
- Cabbages
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Bell peppers
- Celery
Other foods that can prevent bacterial infection are:
- Honey
- Green tea
- Yoghurt
Why choose them???
These fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants thus increase your immunity which allows you to fight infections.
Probiotic supplements are available in the market that promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria thus, preventing bacterial infection.
While there are foods that can prevent ulcers, there are some foods that you should avoid to not worsen your condition.
What foods should you avoid and why?
Certain foods cause the lower part of the oesophagus called the oesophageal sphincter to become relaxed leading to the acids from the stomach to enter into the oesophagus which causes heartburn. This condition is called acid reflux.
The foods that cause this are:
- Spicy, greasy foods that are rich in acidic content
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Caffeine
Also, it’s important to remember is that you need to avoid food 2-3 hours before your bedtime.
Ulcers are very common and can be treated easily. If you take care of your diet then you’re going to find handling your ulcers much easier.
Very severe discomfort accompanied by bleeding can be an indication of a serious underlying condition and if you are facing this, then it may be high time for you to consult a doctor. You can also consult an internationally accredited professional doctor online from our panel of specialists with 0 wait time and guaranteed results!!!
Stay Healthy, Stay Cheerful!!!
