Gastric ulcer: causes, symptoms, treatment. How you can prevent it by changing your lifestyle

A gastric ulcer is an open lesion that forms on the lining of the stomach. It can also occur in the part of the intestine immediately beyond the stomach, being known as a duodenal ulcer. Both gastric and duodenal ulcers (sometimes called peptic ulcers) cause the same symptoms, and treatment for both is similar.

See also: The perfect indigestion treatment. Ligia Pop: Removes toxins from the body. It helps a lot

Signs and symptoms

The most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is a burning or stabbing pain in the center of the abdomen. However, not all gastric ulcers cause obvious symptoms.

Gastric ulcer is common and treatable, but can become serious if not treated in time. Some ulcers bleed continuously, which can lead to significant blood loss over time. Others may continue to erode the stomach walls until a hole appears.

Causes of gastric ulcer

The two most common causes of gastric ulcers are Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterial infection and overuse of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These two causes together account for approximately 99% of gastric ulcers treated by healthcare providers in the US.

H. pylori infection is a very common bacterial infection, affecting up to half of the population worldwide. It lives in the stomach and doesn’t seem to cause problems for many people. But sometimes, it develops and worsens. As the bacteria continue to multiply, they invade the lining of the stomach, causing chronic inflammation that leads to gastric ulcers.

NSAIDs are common over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin. These drugs irritate the stomach lining on contact, and some of them also inhibit some of the chemicals that protect and repair it.

The stomach lining is designed to recover from these minor insults. But if you take too many NSAIDs too often, eventually it won’t be able to keep up with the repairs. The more the protective layer wears down, the less resources it has to recover.

Other less common causes of gastric ulcers include:

Rarely, other bacterial, viral, or fungal infections can take over in the stomach and cause erosive gastritis.

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: This is a rare condition that causes the stomach to produce too much stomach acid, which erodes the lining.

Severe physiological stress: You can develop a stress ulcer if your body is struggling to recover from a serious illness or injury. Severe physiological stress alters the pH balance, making the stomach more acidic. Diagnosis and tests

Treatment and management

Gastric ulcer treatment will depend on what caused the ulcer. Most people will be prescribed a medicine called a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to reduce the amount of stomach acid. You will also need to take antibiotics if the ulcer was caused by an H. pylori infection.

Gastric ulcers can come back after treatment, although this is less likely to happen if the underlying cause is addressed.

Prevention

To prevent gastric ulcers, you must take steps to eliminate H. pylori: Most people who have H. pylori infection are not aware of it. You can find out if you have it by doing a simple breath test or a stool test. If so, you can treat this infection proactively (before it causes problems).

Use NSAIDs as directed: If you’re in the habit of managing your daily aches and pains with NSAIDs, make sure you don’t take more than the recommended dose. If you are taking them for medical reasons, talk to your doctor about reducing the dose, changing the drug, or taking other drugs to protect the stomach lining.

Smoking and alcohol consumption can favor the occurrence of gastric ulcer, so changing the lifestyle to a healthy and balanced one can prevent its occurrence.

See also: How much we should eat on Easter. Ligia Pop: It is very important! This is the secret!

Most people will only need short-term treatment, but some people have chronic conditions that can cause chronic ulcers. For example, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome causes the stomach to produce too much acid. Such chronic conditions may require long-term medication.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow DCMedical on Google News as well

Did this article help you?

Follow the DCMedical Facebook page and the DCMedical Health Dose Instagram page and access more useful content for your health, disease prevention and treatment, first aid measures and useful advice from doctors and patients.