What Causes Stomach Ulcers
Stomach ulcers occur when the layer that protects the stomach lining from stomach acid breaks down, which allows the stomach lining to become damaged.
This is usually a result of:
- an infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria
- taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen or aspirin particularly if theyre taken for a long time or at high doses
It used to be thought that stress or certain foods might cause stomach ulcers, but theres little evidence to suggest this is the case.
Read more about the causes of stomach ulcers.
How To Treat Throat Ulcers
This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support , Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support , Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee in 2006.There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 192,835 times.
Throat ulcers often feel like a lump in your throat and cause pain while youre swallowing. Although theyre uncomfortable, theyre also treatable! Throat ulcers can happen due to injuries, bacterial, fungal, or viral infections, or treatments for cancer. Its important for your doctor to accurately identify the cause behind a throat ulcer so that you can get proper treatment. After conducting an exam, your doctor may prescribe medication to treat the ulcer and manage your pain. How you treat your throat ulcer will depend on whats causing them.
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Complications Of Peptic Ulcers
Left untreated, peptic ulcers can result in severe complications and emergencies.
- Internal bleeding You can have bleeding in your stomach, esophagus, or duodenum when the ulcer opens a blood vessel. Ulcers can cause bleeding that occurs slowly over time or quickly, possibly resulting in hemorrhaging that can be life-threatening due to shock. Sometimes you may not notice a bleeding ulcer until you become anemic, a condition in which your body lacks red blood cells because of inadequate iron. This occurs when ulcers cause chronic, low-grade blood loss.
- A hole, or perforation, in the stomach wall You can develop a perforated ulcer, which means it has eaten through your stomach or intestinal wall.
- Obstruction This is when you have swelling or scarring related to your ulcer that is preventing your food from being digested properly.
The signs that you are having an ulcer emergency are:
- Blood in stool
- Mental confusion
- Severe abdominal distension
If you think you or someone you know is having an ulcer emergency, seek immediate medical attention.
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Causes Of Esophageal Ulcer
The bottom of the esophagus has a valve known as the lower esophageal sphincter. The valve is generally closed which prevents the stomach acid from flowing back to the esophagus. Whenever the food passes through the food pipe and reaches the stomach, this valve relaxes so that the food rushes into the stomach. During the repeated inflammation of the mucous walls, the valve might get weakened. This might result in the leak of the acid into the food pipe that triggers a burning sensation in the chest. This medical condition is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease . Cigarette smoking damages the lower esophageal sphincter thus, allowing more acid to damage the walls of the esophagus.
GERD is the most common cause of the esophageal ulcers. However, other bacterial or fungal infections in the esophagus leading to vomiting can also be a reason for esophageal ulcers. Consumption of alcohol can also cause or worsen ulcerations. The following foods and beverages are known to trigger heartburn in people thus, causing inflammation to the walls of the esophagus:
- Beverages containing alcohol
What Causes Gastric Ulcers
The best way to deal with disease is from cause to effect. Non of the best home remedies of stomach ulcers in the world will help you if you fail at the cause.
Peptic ulcers is an infection resulting from h pylori bacteria attack. It results in erosion of the stomach lining mucosa or small intestine, which occurs as a result of increased acidity in the gut, resulting in sores.
The most common bacteria that cause ulcers is Helicobacter pylori . It acts on the inner lining of the breadbasket accelerated by the acidity of the gut contents.
Excessive use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause this condition . NSAIDs are drugs frequently prescribed to treat pain, fever, and inflammation.
Smoking, uncontrolled stress, spices, and alcohol all increase the risk of duodenal ulcers by irritating the stomach lining mucosa and increasing acid production.
Chewing gums and snaking between meals links to development of ulcers. To heal ulcer you must avoid this substances.
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What To Expect On The Day Of Surgery
When you go to your surgery appointment, you will register and sign a consent form. You may have some pre-operative testing before you go to the pre-surgical area. These tests may include a chest X-ray, CBC, blood chemistry panel, and a urine test.
You will be asked to change into a hospital gown. You will have your temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and oxygen level checked.
If you are having stomach ulcer surgery for an emergency, like a perforation, your preparation will happen quickly. You will need to have IV fluids and possibly a blood transfusion during this period.
Home Remedies For Ulcers: Natural Herbs And Treatments
If you’re looking for quick ulcer pain relief, give these herbs and other natural home remedies a try.
Stomach pain, bloating, heartburn the discomfort of ulcer symptoms is no joke! If you’d like to try some simple home remedies for ulcers, here are seven to help soothe the fires within.
If you’re experiencing severe ulcer symptoms such as vomiting, dark bloody or tarry stool, faintness, trouble breating, appetite changes, or unexplained weight loss, it’s important to seek help from a medical professional.
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Foods And Drink Selection
When you have Barrett’s esophagus, some foods and drinks can exacerbate the condition. You need to avoid these foods or even completely eliminate them from your diet. Keep in mind that the foods that worsen your condition may also cause some discomfort.
Foods to avoid:
- Caffeinated beverages
- Carbonated beverages
- Citrus fruit and juices
- Tomato juice
While the list of foods to avoid with Barrett’s esophagus seems long, that does not mean you have to go hungry. There are plenty of foods that do not have a negative impact on your condition.
Some of the foods that you can eat when you have Barrett’s esophagus include:
- Apples
- Water
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Bananas â The sitoindosides in dried, unripe bananas increase mucus in the digestive tract, which provides a strong protective coating to help prevent and heal ulcers. Unripe bananas also promote cell growth in the intestinal tract. Bananas contain water-soluble polysaccharides, the same compounds found in the anti-ulcer prescription drug Carafate.
For ulcer treatment, unripe whole bananas will have some effect, but the best results are obtained with banana powder. To make banana powder, peel the bananas and cut them into thin slices. Put them in the sun, an oven, or a food dehydrator, and dry them slowly. When dry, grind them into a fine powder. Mix 2 tablespoons of the powder with 1 tablespoon of honey. Take this mixture three times a day: mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and at bedtime.
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Treatment Of Esophageal Ulcers
The treatment of esophageal ulcers depends on the cause. Treatment for most ulcers uses proton pump inhibitors , an acid-blocking medication. If you are diagnosed with an esophageal ulcer on endoscopy, you may need long-term treatment with PPI medication.
If the ulcer is bleeding, a provider can treat the bleeding during an endoscopy. They can do this by injecting the area with medication or applying heat to the area to stop the bleeding. They may also recommend that you avoid taking NSAIDs, especially if those medications caused the ulcer. If the ulcer is linked to an infection, your provider can recommend medications to treat that, too.
If you have had the typical symptoms of pill esophagitis after taking a pill, the treatment usually doesnt require an endoscopy. In such cases, where theres a clear link, the injury usually just needs time to heal.
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Plantain Can Help Prevent Ulcers
This large, green, banana-like fruit is starchy and sticky in texture. It helps to soothe inflamed and irritated mucous membranes and has some antibacterial properties to boot. Studies on rats with ulcers caused by daily aspirin use have shown that unripe green plantain can both prevent the formation of ulcers and help to heal them. Plantain works its magic best when its unripe.
Recommended dose: Until human studies determine the amount that might help, use the fruit as they do in Latin America, where green plantain is eaten boiled like a potato. Avoid fried plantain, as the fat can aggravate ulcers.
Here are the 50 best foods for your heart.
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How Long Does Stomach Ulcer Take To Heal
Stomachulcer as the name suggests is an open sore with inflammation that formson the inside lining of the stomach. If left untreated it may turn to becomeserious, leading to dangerous complications. So its usually necessary to take prompttreatment to deal with! The good news, it is treatable and even often curable. Thebiggest question, how long does it take to heal?
How Are Esophageal Ulcers Caused
The main causes of esophageal ulcers are:
Exposure to stomach acid: This causes chronic inflammation and irritation of the esophagus, allowing ulcers to develop. Stomach acid exposure most often occurs in people with other gastrointestinal conditions. These can include hiatal hernias and GERD, or gastrointestinal reflux disease, more commonly referred to, as severe heartburn.
Medications: Certain drugs, including aspirin, ibuprofen, bisphosphonates, and some antibiotics, can cause esophagitis, or inflammation of the esophagus, and esophageal ulcers.
Infection: Ulcers caused by infection are less common, but the fungal infection known as candida, herpes, and the human papillomavirus have all been linked to esophageal ulcers.
Caustic injury: Esophageal ulcers may be caused by ingesting a corrosive substance. This type of injury mostly affects children, but it can also occur in adults who experience psychosis, suicidal tendencies, or who are abusing alcohol.
Certain types of gastric surgery or foreign bodies can also cause esophageal ulcers.
Early intervention is key to preventing complications from esophageal ulcers.
In cases of acid reflux, treatment may include:
- Medication, such as antacids, H-2-receptor blockers, and proton pump inhibitors .
- Dietary and lifestyle changes, to aid digestion.
- Surgery, for severe cases. Types of surgeries include to tighten the LES valve near the top of the stomach or to insert a magnetic device to help the LES valve function.
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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.
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Home Remedies For Stomach Ulcer
Helicobacter pylori
References:
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How Do I Know If I Have An Ulcer
Describing your symptoms may lead your doctor to suspect that you have a peptic ulcer, but it wonât likely help determine the type, because the symptoms of stomach and duodenal ulcers are so similar. The doctor will do tests like these to figure out which specific type of ulcer you have:
- Endoscopy. This is the most accurate diagnostic test to diagnose a peptic ulcer. The doctor puts a flexible tube down your throat to see inside your esophagus , stomach, and duodenum. This allows the doctor to see the cause of bleeding and test for any bacterial infection. During this exam, your doctor may also do a biopsy to check for cancer.
- Barium swallow. If you cant have an endoscopy, this test, also called an upper GI series of X-rays, can help your doctor identify and locate the ulcer and determine its type and severity. The test requires you to drink a barium milkshake, which has a liquid that will show up on an X-ray. They may ask you to eat only bland, easy-to-digest foods for 2-3 days before the test. After drinking the chalky liquid, you lie down on a tilting exam table. This evenly spreads the barium around your upper digestive tract and lets the X-ray take pictures at different angles.
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How Can I Prevent A Stomach Ulcer From Occurring Or Returning
- Reduce NSAID use, if possible. Consider whether acetaminophen might substitute. If you take NSAIDs for medical reasons, talk to your doctor about reducing your dosage or switching your medication. Your doctor may also prescribe another medicine to take with NSAIDs to protect your stomach lining.
- Reduce other irritants that may contribute to too much stomach acid or erode your stomach lining, including smoking and alcohol use.
- Take an H. pylori breath test to find out if you have an overgrowth of the bacteria.
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Are There Different Types Of Ulcers
There are three different types of ulcers that a horse can suffer from depending on whereabouts in their stomach the ulcer is.
- Equine Squamous Gastric Ulcer Syndrome Also known as a squamous ulcer, its more commonly associated with a lack of forage and access to water as well as a change in housing and lack of contact with other horses. It affects the area that covers the top third region of the horses stomach known as the squamous.
- Equine Glandular Gastric Ulcer Syndrome The lower two-thirds of the stomach, and in particular the end of the stomach known as the antrum, are affected by EGGUS . Theses ulcers are more commonly linked to prolonged use of drugs such as NSAIDs as well as bacteria infections.
- Colonic ulcer Sometimes referred to as right dorsal colitis , colonic ulcers form in the large intestine. Theyre not as common as the other types of ulcer but are similar in cause to EGGUS.
Drink Aloe Vera Juice
There is some research that indicates drinking aloe vera juice could help relieve acid reflux.
One small 2015 pilot study found that drinking 10 ml of aloe vera syrup daily helped decrease symptoms of GERD, and that its effects were comparable to the drugs ranitidine and omeprazole.
A small 2016 study focusing on male patients who developed GERD after exposure to sulfur mustard gas found that taking 40 mg of the proton-pump inhibitor pantoprazole in the morning and 5 ml of aloe vera syrup in the morning and before bed for two weeks improved the severity of GERD symptoms better than pantoprazole alone.
Proton-pump inhibitors are among the strongest medications for acid reflux. They work by lowering stomach acid levels, but long-term use is associated with some risks and side effects.
The gel-like nature of aloe vera, along with its anti-inflammatory properties, can help calm irritation in the gut and may help protect organs’ mucous lining.
Talk to your doctor if you’re on any medication or are pregnant or breastfeeding before consuming aloe vera.
Important: Avoid the skin and inner lining of aloe vera. It contains anthraquinone, a laxative that could cause GI upset.
If you want to try drinking aloe vera juice, look for that has been purified to reduce the anthraquinone content.
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Guarding Against Infection Of H Pylori