Ulcer: What Most People Don't Know That You Must Know

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Ulcer is 'an open sore on an external or internal surface of the body, caused by a break in the skin or mucous membrane which fails to heal. Ulcers range from small, painful sores in the mouth to bedsores and serious lesions of the stomach or intestine'.

Medically, it is defined by Merriam Webster as 'a break in skin or mucous membrane with loss of surface tissue, disintegration and necrosis of epithelial tissue, and often pus'.

Generally, when people refer to ulcers, they only mean stomach and peptic ulcers because they are the most common types of ulcers known all over the world.
Therefore, in this article, I shall list all the (possible) types of ulcers with brief explanations on them and expatiate more on Stomach Ulcers (also Gastric Ulcers).

So without further fuss, illustrated below are the different types of ulcer, and brief notes on them:

1. Gastric Ulcers: Gastric ulcers are the ulcers that develop inside the stomach.

Also known as peptic ulcer, gastric ulcer is a localized area of erosion in the stomach lin
ing, resulting in abdominal pain, possible bleeding, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The most common cause of gastric ulcer is a stomach infection associated with the Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) bacteria. This infection may spread through contaminated food and water. Many people become infected with H pylori at a young age, but symptoms most commonly occur in (early) adulthood.

Some people with gastric ulcers have no symptoms at all, while others may have burning pain, severe nausea, and vomitting.

In the case of H pylori-related gastric ulcers, the infection can be treated successfully with antibiotics. For gastric ulcer not related to H pylori, antacids or other medications are an effective treatment. You can reduce your risk of H pylori bacteria infection by following common sense hygiene practices such as washing your hands with soap and water prior to preparing food and after handling dirty diapers or using the bathroom/toilet.

2. Oesophageal Ulcers: Ulcers that develop inside the oesophagus.

Oesophageal Ulcers are defined as open sores or lesions in the lining of the oesophagus (the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach). These ulcers usually cause pain that is felt behind or just below the breastbone.

This type of ulcer occurs in the lower end of your oesophagus. Oesophageal ulcers are often associated with a bad case of acid reflux.

The oesophagus does not have the same mucous lining that the stomach has to protect itself against the stomach acid. When excessive stomach acid flows back from the stomach up into the oesophagus, it can corrode the lining of the oesophagus over a relatively short period of time. This eventually leads to inflammation of the oesophagus and then later to ulceration.

Smoking is also a major cause of Oesophageal ulcer.

3. Duodenal Ulcers: A duodenal ulcer is a type of peptic ulcer that occurs in the duodenum, the beginning of the small intestine. Peptic ulcers are eroded areas in the lining of stomach and duodenum, which result in abdominal pain, possible bleeding, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Other risk factors for duodenal ulcers include overuse of alcohol, tobacco, and medications such as aspirin. Severe illness has also been implicated as a risk factor in the development of duodenal ulcer.

4. Bleeding Ulcers - Internal bleeding is caused by a peptic ulcer which has been left untreated. When this happens, it is referred to as a bleeding ulcer - it is the most dangerous type of ulcer.

Bleeding ulcers can result in significant blood loss and thus require hospitalization.

A hole develops in the lining of the stomach or small intestine and causes an infection. Signs of Bleeding ulcers are sudden, severe abdominal pain and internal bleeding.

5. Stress Ulcer - Stress ulcers are a group of lesions (or lacerations) found in the esophagus, stomach or duodenum. These are normally only found in critically ill or severely stressed patients.

Now, as you've known the other types of ulcer and some things about them, I believe it's now time to teach some lessons about "Stomach Ulcer - what it really means, causes symptoms and treatments". I am picking stomach ulcers particularly because it is the most widely known ulcer. But, I may write about other types of Ulcer later.

So, now is the time to actually explore and expose all there is to do on stomach ulcer. Are you ready? Yes? Then, let's go...

Stomach Ulcers

The term 'stomach ulcer' is a pretty broad term that includes quite a few different types of ulcers. It gets a little confusing when you really start looking deeper into figuring out the 7 different types of ulcers found in the digestive system.

Mostly, ulcers are named after the location where they are found but, as with most things in life, there is an exception - the peptic ulcer. For instance a peptic ulcer can be found anywhere in your oesophagus, stomach or duodenum.

Stomach ulcers are painful sores that can be found in the stomach lining or small intestine. Stomach ulcers are the most visible sign of peptic ulcer disease. They occur when the thick layer of mucus that protects the stomach from digestive juices is reduced, thus enabling the digestive acids to wear away at the lining tissues of the stomach.

Stomach ulcers are easily cured, but they can become severe when there is no proper treatment.

What Causes of Stomach Ulcer?

It is indeed funny when people say hunger or poor appetite causes hunger. However, burning or gnawing feeling in the stomach area lasting between 30 minutes and 3 hours commonly accompanies ulcers. This pain can be misinterpreted as hunger, indigestion or heartburn. Pain is usually caused by the ulcer but it may be aggravated by the stomach acid when it comes into contact with the ulcerated area.

The stomach normally produces acid to help with the digestion of food and to kill germs (bacteria). This acid is corrosive, so some cells on the inside lining of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine (the duodenum) produce a natural mucous barrier. This protects the lining of the stomach and duodenum. There is normally a balance between the amount of acid that you make and the mucous defense barrier. An ulcer may develop if there is an alteration in this balance, allowing the acid to damage the lining of the stomach or duodenum. In other words, stomach ulcers occur when the acid and enzyme overcome the defense mechanisms of the gastrointestinal tract and erode the mucosal wall.

This can be caused by:

1. Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) Infection: Infection with H. pylori is the major cause of stomach ulcer. More than a quarter of people in the UK become infected with H. pylori at some stage in their lives. Once infected, unless treated, the infection usually stays for the rest of the person's life. In most people, it causes no problems and a number of these bacteria just live harmlessly in the lining of the stomach and duodenum.

However, in some other people, this bacterium causes an inflammation in the lining of the stomach or duodenum. This causes the defense mucous barrier to be disrupted which allows the acid to cause inflammation and ulcers.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Medicines - There are various types and brands. Examples are, aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, and so on. Many people take anti-inflammatory drugs for arthritis, muscular pains, etc. Aspirin is also used by many people to prevent blood clots forming. However, these medicines sometimes affect the mucous barrier of the stomach and allow acid to cause an ulcer 

3. Alcohol - The excessive consumption of alcohol, as it is mostly known, is not good for the health. But, most people still go on and drink, drink, drink, and drink until they can take no more. Well, again, here is another warning, if you want to flee from ulcer, avoid the Excess of Alcohol. Too much of it irritates the stomach lining and makes it more susceptible to ulcerations.

4. Stress: Physical (severe injuries or burns)

5. Excess intake of Caffeine

6. Smoking

7. Radiation therapy: Radiation treatment to certain areas of the body can increase the risk of having ulcer.

8. Genetic Predisposition to Developing Ulcers

How To Know if You Have Stomach Ulcer

An ulcer may or may not have symptoms. When symptoms occur, they are very easy to notice. They may include:

- A gnawing or burning pain in the middle or upper stomach between meals or at night      

- Bloating

- Heartburn            

- Nausea or vomitting

- Dark or black stool (due to bleeding)

- Vomiting blood (that can look like "coffee-grounds")

- Weight loss

- Severe pain in the mid to upper abdomen

- Feeling burning sensation in the chest

- Changes in appetite

How To Prevent Stomach Ulcer

Stomach Ulcers can be prevented by certain lifestyle choices, abstinence (total or partial) and habits. Which include:

 

- Drinking less (not more than two) alcoholic drinks a day

- Not mixing alcohol with medication

- Washing your hands regularly to avoid infections

- Reducing the use of Anti-inflammatory drugs

- Avoid foods that irritate the stomach

- Stop smoking

- Control stress by having regular exercises and mind-body relaxation techniques

Simple Home Remedies for Stomach Ulcer

Stomach ulcers are often treated with antibiotics or medications to reduce, block, or neutralize stomach acids. Meanwhile, there are also natural home remedies that can be used to help ease the symptoms of a stomach ulcer and help it heal.

1. Licorice -  Licorice might help ulcers heal by inhibiting the growth of H. pylori. It helps the stomach and intestines produce more protective mucus that forms a coating over the stomach lining. This in turn eases the pain from ulcers and speeds up the healing process.

2. Honey -  Honey is a powerful antibacterial and has been shown to inhibit H. pylori growth. So far you have normal blood sugar levels, you can enjoy honey as you would enjoy any sweetener, and with the bonus of soothing your ulcers.

There are some substances in honey (like glucose oxidase, an enzyme in honey which produces hydrogen peroxide, and other floral antibacterial substances which come from flowers when bees collect pollen) which kills harmful bacteria that can contribute to the development of ulcers.

3. Cabbage - Cabbage is a great remedy for a stomach ulcer. Being a lactic acid food, cabbage helps produce an amino acid that stimulates blood flow to the stomach lining. This in turn helps strengthen the stomach lining and heal the ulcer.

Plus, cabbage contains a good amount of vitamin C, which has been found to be particularly beneficial for patients with H. pylori infections. Also, experiments indicate that fresh carrot juice contains an anti-peptic ulcer factor (vitamin U).

4. Banana - For stomach ulcer treatment, both ripe and unripe bananas are very effective. There are certain antibacterial compounds in bananas that inhibit the growth of ulcer-causing H. pylori.

Bananas also protect the system by wiping out the acidity of gastric juices. This helps reduce inflammation and also strengthens the stomach lining.

5. Coconut - Coconut is very good for people suffering from stomach ulcers because of its antibacterial qualities. It kills the bacteria that cause ulcers.

Moreover, coconut milk and coconut water have anti-ulcer properties.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and quitting smoking and other tobacco use will also help you prevent developing a stomach ulcer.