Treating Stomach ulcer: the Misconceptions and precautions

Stomach ulcer is a common health issue almost everyone has experienced at some point in their lives. Its common nature has however given birth to some misconceptions about it. This article is meant to shed a light on that.

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Stomach ulcer is a wound or sore that develops on the lining of the oesophagus, stomach or small intestine. Ulcers occur when stomach acid damages the lining of the digestive tract.

According to Google, Stomach ulcer is so common in Nigeria with over 100 thousand (100,000) cases per year.

To treat Stomach ulcer, you would need to remove the cause of the sore and reduce the acid in your stomach to give room for the sore to heal.

So basically most people think activities like dry fasting causes stomach ulcer, this is a misconception. Stomach ulcer is caused either by H Pylori (a bacteria) gotten from untreated water or food, or from abuse of drugs like Ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory drug class that is used for treating pain, fever, and inflammation.

Your stomach naturally secretes an acid known as gastric acid with a pH of less than 3.5 enough to burn through your skin.

The bacteria, H Pylori causing Stomach ulcer can survive this harsh environment of the stomach by neutralizing the acid around it thereby causing pains as a result of the sore created in the stomach lining.

This H Pylori can be gotten from contaminated water, utensils and even from the saliva of infected persons.

Alcohol also irritates the lining of the stomach though there is little evidence that it may directly lead to ulcer, same for caffeine and cigarette.

If the cause is an infection, your doctor will treat that infection with antibiotics and drugs that reduce the acid and protect your stomach.

There will be tests to confirm that you have an infection, questions and examinations to determine the exact cause of your ulcer.

So if you are an ulcer patient, kindly go through these tips below and take them to note:

• Avoid fizzy drinks (drinks containing bubbles of gas), it makes things worse.
• Limit intake of spicy and peppery meals.
• Don’t fast for long hours.
• Avoid smoking.
• Manage stress effectively.
• Limit intake of caffeine.
• Avoid drugs known as NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Aspirin and Ibuprofen.
• Inform your doctor to begin treatment.