What Happens After Treatment
A repeat gastroscopy is usually advised a few weeks after treatment has finished. This is mainly to check that the ulcer has healed. It is also to be doubly certain that the ‘ulcer’ was not due to stomach cancer. If your ulcer was caused by H. pylori then a test is advised to check that the H. pylori infection has gone. This is done at least four weeks after the course of combination therapy has finished.
Home Remedies For Peptic Ulcer Pain
Peptic ulcers are small sores or holes in the stomach. Peptic ulcers can be caused by the use of painkillers like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pills and aspirin. They usually treated with medications to neutralize stomach acid or antibiotics for an infection. There are also home remedies you can use to help remove the symptoms of a peptic ulcer as well as help it heal. In this article,AllRemedies.com reveals to you top 24 home remedies for peptic ulcer pain. This writing listed the best treatments to remove the peptic ulcer pain from reliable sources. Nevertheless, it is only for the informational purpose and it is not aimed to give medical advice. Continue reading this writing to discover these 24 at home peptic ulcer remedies in more details!
What Causes Stomach Ulcer
The common causes of stomach ulcers are mentioned below.
- Over usage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs : Taking NSAIDs for a long time or in large quantities can cause stomach ulcers. Examples of common NSAIDs include aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen.1
- Helicobacter pylori infection: Getting infected by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori can cause stomach ulcers. This bacteria lives in the stomach itself and does not cause any symptoms for most people. But people who have bacterial overgrowth can develop stomach ulcers as the bacteria continue to grow and damage the stomach wall.1
Some rare causes of stomach ulcers are:
- Severe physiological stress: Getting burns or injuries or other severe illnesses can cause stomach ulcers. Physical stress can cause overproduction of stomach acids, causing stomach ulcers.1
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome: A rare kind of condition that causes the stomach to overproduce stomach acids.1
Also Read: Natural Home Remedies To Reduce Belly Fat
Recommended Reading: How To Treat Pressure Ulcers On Buttocks
Cure : Foods For Stomach Ulcers
Foods for Ulcer, Weird isnt it? Yes, foods could actually prevent/cure Stomach Ulcer. One could say the primary culprit in the case of stomach ulcers could be narrowed down to food and food habits. Eating certain foods such as foods that contain nitrates could fuel your infection. However, eating certain foods could also help you prevent and even cure your stomach ulcer.
What Should I Do If I Think I Have A Stomach Ulcer
Always seek medical care for a stomach ulcer. While you may be able to manage symptoms temporarily with over-the-counter medications, these wont heal the ulcer. You need to identify and treat the underlying cause. An untreated ulcer can lead to serious complications, even if your symptoms are mild. The major cause of stomach ulcers, H. pylori infection, can also lead to other complications.
Don’t Miss: Best Protein Shakes For Ulcerative Colitis
How Is An Ulcer Diagnosed
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms. They may do an endoscopy. This procedure involves inserting a thin, flexible tube attached to a camera down your throat and into your stomach. Your doctor will test your blood, breath or stool for H. pylori. They also can test a sample of your stomach lining. Your doctor also will ask you if you regularly take aspirin or anti-inflammatory medicines.
What Is An Ulcer
Ulcers are open sores on the inner lining of the lower esophagus, stomach, or the upper portion of the small intestine. They are often painful, particularly after eating, and can bleed into the stomach or intestines.
Ulcers are identified by the location of the sore:
- Esophageal ulcers occur on the lower part of the esophagus, the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach.
- Gastric ulcers form in the stomach lining.
- Duodenal ulcers form in the lining of the small intestine near the stomach called the duodenum.
Esophageal, gastric, and duodenal ulcers are collectively called peptic ulcers or peptic ulcer disease . They are closely related both in causes and treatments. Compared to gastric and duodenal ulcers, esophageal ulcers may arise from different causes and require different treatments in some cases.
Peptic ulcers are due to an erosion of the defenses the stomach or intestinal tissues use to protect themselves against harmful stomach acid. When these defenses are compromised, the acid can eat away at the lining of the stomach or duodenum, causing sores.
Lifestyle factors, such as eating spicy foods or stress, are no longer considered risk factors for developing peptic or esophageal ulcers, but they may worsen ulcer symptoms.
Peptic ulcer disease is very common. Anywhere from 5% to 10% of the population will develop a peptic ulcer at some time during their lives. About 2% to 7% will experience an esophageal ulcer in their lifetime, mostly due to GERD.
Read Also: How Does An Ulcer Feel In Your Stomach
Surgery For Treating Stomach Ulcers
What Is Stomach Ulcer Surgery? Procedure Types Contraindications Potential Risks Purpose of Stomach Ulcer Surgery How to Prepare Location What to Wear Food and Drink Medications What to Bring Pre-Op Lifestyle Changes What to Expect on the Day of Surgery Before the Surgery During the Surgery After the Surgery Recovery Healing When to Call Your Healthcare Provider Coping With Recovery Long-Term Care Possible Future Surgeries Lifestyle Adjustments A Word From Verywell Frequently Asked QuestionsVideos
Stomach ulcer surgery is a procedure for treating a stomach ulcer. The surgery is used when peptic ulcer disease causes pain or bleeding that doesn’t improve with non-surgical therapies. Perforated ulcer surgery is an urgent life-saving intervention for severe ulcer-induced degradation of the stomach lining. Symptoms caused by your ulcer should improve after you recover from the procedure.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Stomach Ulcer
Most people with a stomach ulcer do not experience any symptoms. The most common symptom is burning pain in the upper abdomen. The pain can travel to the chest and neck, bellybutton, or back.
Other less common symptoms include:
- feeling full and bloated, or belching
- not being able to tolerate fatty foods
Sometimes, stomach ulcers can lead to more serious symptoms, such as:
- a sudden sharp pain in the stomach that gets worse
- vomiting blood
- blood in your stool or black, tarry stools
- weight loss
If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
Read Also: Natural Ways To Heal Ulcerative Colitis
When To Contact A Doctor
Anyone who thinks they may have an ulcer in their stomach should consult a doctor. Any stomach symptoms that last for more than a few days or keep happening need evaluation and treatment.
Symptoms of anemia, such as tiredness and breathlessness, may signal a slow-bleeding ulcer. More serious bleeding is an urgent medical problem, as people may vomit up blood, or stools are black and sticky.
Perforation is also an emergency. Without quick treatment, the wall of the stomach can become infected. Sudden stomach pain that gets worse can indicate perforation, and any signs of being very unwell with infection need treatment as soon as possible.
What Are The Risks For People With Ulcers
Why do painkillers increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems? The same chemicals that amplify pain which some pain medicines block also help maintain the protective lining of the stomach and intestines. When a painkiller stops these chemicals from working, the digestive tract becomes more vulnerable to damage from gastric acids.
For people with ulcers, the risky pain relievers are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. They include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and ketoprofen, the active ingredients in medicines such as Bufferin, Advil, and Aleve.
Other pain relievers may be less dangerous. Acetaminophen the active ingredient in Tylenol works differently and poses a much lower risk of GI problems. However, like any drug, it does have side effects of its own. You shouldnt take any over-the-counter painkiller for more than 10 days without your health care providers approval.
The risks from NSAIDs are quite serious. Studies show that people who use NSAIDs are about three times as likely to have gastrointestinal bleeding. Even at low doses, NSAIDs can make mild ulcers much worse.
Aspirin has additional risks. Aspirin can help prevent blood clotting, which is why it helps people at risk of heart attacks and strokes, says Cryer. But in people with ulcers, it can lead to more serious gastrointestinal bleeding.
Dont Miss: How Long Does An Ulcerative Colitis Flare Up Last
You May Like: Is Coconut Milk Good For Ulcerative Colitis
Nsaids And Stomach Ulcers
NSAIDs carry a risk of stomach ulcers. The two most popular NSAIDs are aspirin and ibuprofen.
The risk of ulcers increases if the drugs are taken in high doses or regularly for a long time.
Stronger NSAIDs, such as those available on prescription, carry a greater risk of stomach ulcers than those that people can buy over the counter.
A person should always check labels and consult a pharmacist or a doctor about any concerns regarding using pain relief medication. They may recommend an alternative, such as acetaminophen.
What If I Still Need To Take Nsaids
If you take NSAIDs for other conditions, such as arthritis, you should talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of using NSAIDs. Your doctor can help you determine how to continue using an NSAID safely after your peptic ulcer symptoms go away. Your doctor may prescribe a medicine used to prevent NSAID-induced ulcers called Misoprosotol.
Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medicines you take. Your doctor can then decide if you may safely take NSAIDs or if you should switch to a different medicine. In either case, your doctor may prescribe a PPI or histamine receptor blocker to protect the lining of your stomach and duodenum.
If you need NSAIDs, you can reduce the chance of a peptic ulcer returning by
- taking the NSAID with a meal
- using the lowest effective dose possible
- avoiding alcohol
Read Also: Is Ulcerative Colitis The Same As Diverticulitis
Relieving Ulcer Pain With Medical Treatments
Lifestyle Changes To Help Prevent Stomach Ulcers
Certain lifestyle factors can affect your risk of stomach ulcers. To prevent ulcers in the future, start making these lifestyle changes today:
- Avoid alcohol: Drinking alcohol increases the risk of H. pylori infection.
- Quit smoking: Smoking raises your risk of stomach ulcers.
- Exercise daily: Regular physical activity has been linked to a lower risk of stomach ulcers.
Don’t Miss: Best Prebiotic For Ulcerative Colitis
When Should I See A Doctor If I Think I Have A Peptic Ulcer
- If you have burning pain in your upper stomach that is relieved by eating or taking antacids, call a health-care professional for an appointment. Don’t assume you have an ulcer. Certain other conditions can cause similar symptoms.
- If you vomit blood or have other signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, go to an emergency department right away. Peptic ulcers can cause massive bleeding, which requires blood transfusion or surgery.
- Severe abdominal pain suggests perforation or tearing of an ulcer. This is an emergency that may require surgery to fix a hole in your stomach.
- Vomiting and abdominal pain also can be a sign of an obstruction, another complication of peptic ulcers. This also may require emergency surgery.
Treatment For A Stomach Ulcer
Special diets are now known to have very little impact on the prevention or treatment of stomach ulcers. Treatment options can include:
- medication including antibiotics, to destroy the H. pylori colony, and drugs to help speed the healing process. Different drugs need to be used in combination some of the side effects can include diarrhoea and rashes. Resistance to some of these antibiotics is becoming more common
- subsequent breath tests used to make sure the H. pylori infection has been treated successfully
- changes to existing medication the doses of arthritis medication, aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medication can be altered slightly to reduce their contributing effects on the stomach ulcer.
- reducing acid tablets are available to reduce the acid content in the gastric juices
- lifestyle modifications including quitting cigarettes, since smoking reduces the natural defences in the stomach and impairs the healing process.
Also Check: Best Foods To Eat With A Peptic Ulcer
What Are The Home Remedies For Gastric Ulcers
Home remedies for gastric ulcers are herbs like turmeric, kutki, myrobalan, aloe vera, ginger, harad, liquorice, tea and Indian gooseberry. Honey may also be effective in relieving gastric ulcers.3-5 You need to consult with a doctor before proceeding with any remedy for stomach ulcers. Gastric ulcers need to be taken seriously and require proper medical care.
Home Remedies For Peptic Ulcer Licorice
According to several studies, licorice is very effective for preventing and treating peptic ulcers. Plus, it also helps speed up the healing process and ease the pain from ulcers. For instant results, you can use it as follows.
- Mix licorice root powder in a cup of water. Cover it and then leave it sit overnight. Add cooked broken white rice into this infusion and enjoy it. It is recommended to repeat per day for one week to obtain positive results.
- Another option is to consume licorice teaat least twice a day for 1 week.
Also Check: Best Cure For Leg Ulcers
When To Go To The Healthcare Provider
Pain in the body means that something is wrong. If you experience pain after eating only every once in a while and it is not debilitating, you may want to mention it to your healthcare provider the next time that you see them.
But if you are experiencing pain after eating on a fairly frequent basis, it is essential that you make an appointment right away with your healthcare provider to ensure that you get an accurate diagnosis and come up with a treatment plan.
If the pain is severe, debilitating, and accompanied by jaundice, fever, rapid heart rate, chills, or severe vomiting, you should seek emergency care.
When Should I Call The Doctor
- sudden, sharp, lasting belly pain
- bloody or black bowel movements
- bloody vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
These could be signs of a serious problem for a child whos had a peptic ulcer, such as:
- perforation
- obstruction
If your child takes NSAIDs and shows signs of a peptic ulcer, get medical help right away. Delaying diagnosis and treatment can lead to more problems and, possibly, the need for surgery. But with quick treatment, almost all peptic ulcers can be cured.
Don’t Miss: What To Put On Leg Ulcers
What Is The Best Medication For An Ulcer
Ulcers are primarily treated with medications that reduce stomach acid, but other medications such as antacids or pain relievers might be used, as well. However, if theres an underlying infection, that infection will need to be treated with antimicrobial medications as well. There is, then, no best medication for ulcers, only the best combination of medications for a particular situation.
| Best medications for ulcers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Analgesic | Oral | 325 to 650 mg every four to six hours as needed. Maximum dose of 4,000 mg per day. | Nausea, stomach pain, headache |
The standard dosages above are from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , the National Institute of Health , or off-label studies for the treatment of peptic ulcers. Dosage is determined by your doctor based on your medical condition, response to treatment, age, and weight. Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.
Home Remedies For Peptic Ulcer Bananas
Both unripe and ripe bananas are very effective home remedy for peptic ulcer. Bananas also help strengthen the stomach lining as well as reduce inflammation. To treat an ulcer, you should use it as follows.
- Eat about three ripe bananas per day. You can make banana milkshakes if you do not like eating them.
- Another option is to peel 2 or 3 bananas and then cut the bananas into thin slices. Afterwards, you put these slices in the sun till they become dry. Grind them into a fine powder. Mix together this powder and honey . Take the mixture three times daily for about a week.
You May Like: Possible Causes Of Ulcerative Colitis