Ronald Hsu Md Facg Facp Dds
Sutter Roseville Medical Center
Its impossible to ignore the gnawing, aching abdominal pains that accompany a stomach ulcer. About 25 million Americans suffer from an ulcer at some point in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Contrary to popular belief, ulcers are not caused by psychological stress or the ingestion of spicy foods. Ronald Hsu, M.D., a gastroenterologist with the Sutter Roseville Medical Center, says two Australian researchers discovered in the early 1980s that a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori is the root cause of most stomach ulcers.
Nobody believed them when this was discovered, Dr. Hsu says. The conventional thinking at that time was that bacteria couldnt live in the stomach on account of the strength of gastric acid.
Eventually, the medical community realized the two men were correct in their findings. Pathologist J. Robin Warren and physician Barry J. Marshall were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 2005 for their discovery of H. pylori. Dr. Marshall famously infected himself with the bacterium in an attempt to prove its link to stomach inflammation and ulcers. It is now firmly established that the bacterium causes more than 90 percent of duodenal ulcers and up to 80 percent of gastric ulcers.
How Can You Prevent Stomach Ulcers
For NSAID-induced ulcers, preventing stomach ulcers may mean you stop taking NSAIDs, reducing your use, or switching to another medicine that won’t lead to ulcers.
Since H. pylori can cause peptic ulcers, you may be able to prevent this type of ulcer by steering clear of the bacteria that cause the stomach infection. There are a few precautions you can take that may prevent getting H. pylori:
- Washing your hands after restroom visits and before eating
- Eating food that has been prepared the right way
- Drinking clean water
Some people believe that avoiding spicy foods can help, or that stress triggers stomach ulcersbut those are myths, said Dr. Rajapaksa. However, avoiding alcohol and not smoking may be beneficial.
The key is to get checked out early, said Dr. Rajapaksa. “As soon as the ulcer is diagnosed, you can take an acid-blocking medication that will treat the erosion and prevent it from getting any worse in most cases. In more extreme cases, surgery may be required to repair the damage.”
Stomach Cancer And Other Conditions Associated With H Pylori
H pylori is strongly associated with certain cancers. Some studies have also linked it to a number of non-gastrointestinal illnesses, although the evidence is inconsistent.
Stomach Cancers
Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In developing countries, where the rate of H pylori is very high, the risk of stomach cancer is six times higher than in the United States. Evidence now suggests that H pylori may be as carcinogenic to the stomach as cigarette smoke is to the lungs.
Infection with H pylori promotes a precancerous condition called atrophic gastritis. The process most likely starts in childhood. It may lead to cancer through the following steps:
- The stomach becomes chronically inflamed and loses patches of glands that secrete protein and acid.
- New cells replace destroyed cells. But the new cells do not produce enough acid to protect against carcinogens.
- Over time, cancer cells may develop and multiply in the stomach.
Although the evidence is mixed, some research suggests that early elimination of H pylori may reduce the risk of stomach cancer to that of the general population. It is important to follow patients after treatment for a long period of time.
Other Diseases
H pylori also is weakly associated with other non-intestinal disorders, including migraine headache, Raynaud disease , and skin disorders such as chronic hives.
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Are The Results Of The Home Remedies For Ulcers Are Permanent
Most of the ulcers are caused by infections in your body. If the harmful bacteria are eliminated from the body that would mean that your ulcer can be cured permanently. However, in case you suffer from infection later, there can be a possibility that you get an ulcer once again.
Summary: No, the results are not permanent since it is caused by infection, it can reoccur again.
How Can This Affect Healthcare
If the hypothesis proves correct, the recommendation will be to introduce systematic screening of infarction patients for helicobacter pylori infection and, if necessary, its treatment. We also believe that diagnosis and treatment for people suffering both cardiac and gastrointestinal problems can be improved through the more structured collaboration of cardiologists and gastroenterologists.
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Side Effects Of Prednisone
It can literally be a life saver- but it can have a LOT a side effects. Some of the common side effects are:
- increase in appetite
It can also impair the immune system which is a problem if you have asthma. The last thing you want to get is a cold, because it can turn into bronchitis or pneumonia. In fact, we are having that problem now.
Middle Son is in college and had a nasty case of bronchitis which required prednisone and an antibiotic. He was almost better until the Hubster brought home a terrible chest cold as a souvenir from our trip to Hawaii. Since Middle Son had an impaired immune system, and the Hubsters cold was a different strain, Middle Son started a new battle with bronchitis but it was much worse this time. He ended up on a 2nd antibiotic and was really struggling to breathe. It was scary.
Then, a few days later, he picked up a stomach bug. Poor guy! I think he picked up the 2nd cold and the stomach bug because he had been on a course of prednisone which suppressed his immune system.
Everything has been disinfected, and we wipe down all of the surfaces every day to try to keep the germs away. But Middle Son still has to go to work and college
If you do very sick and your doctor recommends prednisone, the necessary evil, discuss the benefits and side effects with her.
For us, the biggest benefit is that my son is still breathing and not in the hospital again. Ill take prednisone over that any day.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Peptic Ulcer
The most common symptom or sign of an ulcer is pain in the abdomen. It often starts within a few hours of eating. Other symptoms include:
- bloating or feeling full or gassy
- nausea or vomiting
- extreme weakness or dizziness
In some people ulcers may bleed or perforate or the area around them may become scarred, blocking up the intestines.
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Which Ointment Is Best For Diabetic Wound
Antibiotics such as Neomycin, Gentamycin, and Mupirocin have good antibacterial coverage when used topically. Silver containing dressings come in different formulations and have very good antibacterial coverage. Silver dressings and polyherbal preparations have shown good results in healing diabetic foot wounds.
What do diabetic ulcers look like?
Its rare, but people with diabetes can see blisters suddenly appear on their skin. You may see a large blister, a group of blisters, or both. The blisters tend to form on the hands, feet, legs, or forearms and look like the blisters that appear after a serious burn.
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Other Treatments For Stomach Ulcers
Ulcers need to be treated, or they will continue to worsen. Medications are considered the first-line therapy to treat stomach ulcers because they can heal them while lowering the risk of complications like bleeding. Traditional triple therapy for ulcer management includes a proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, and Biaxin for seven to 10 days.
Medications for stomach ulcers include:
- Antibiotics are needed to treat H. pylori because it is a type of bacteria. The antibiotic prescription needs to be taken exactly as prescribed, even if you begin to feel better before it is finished.
- Antacids reduce the acid in the stomach, and while they can make you feel better, antacids will not cure an ulcer. Talk with your healthcare provider before taking antacids as they may interact with certain antibiotics.
- Proton pump inhibitors work to reduce stomach acid and protect the lining of the stomach and duodenum. However, they do not treat or cure H. pylori. Common PPIs include Nexium , Prevacid , and Prilosec .
- H-2 blockers block histamine, the chemical that tells your stomach to produce acid. This relieves ulcer pain while protecting it during the healing phase. Examples include Pepcid and Zantac .
- Stomach lining medications coat ulcers and protect them from stomach acid, which allows them to heal. These medications can kill H. pylori but must be used with antibiotics. Examples include Carafate and Pepto-Bismol .
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What Drinks Help Ulcers
For most medical conditions, the best drink is water. For an ulcer, other types of drinks, such as dairy and juice, can increase acid production in the stomach. Some drinks, such as orange juice, are acidic, so youre just pouring gas on the fire. Plain and simple, water not only doesnt irritate the stomach or increase stomach acid, but it can also dilute and weaken the acid in the stomach.
Home Remedies For Stomach Ulcers
Know the ways to treat stomach ulcers at home
Stomach ulcers are the type of peptic ulcer disease which that can affect both small intestine as well as stomach lining. Stomach ulcers occur when the thick mucus lining of the stomach is reduced and results in damage of the stomach lining from the digestive juices or acids.
According to the doctors at Mayo Clinic, the causes of stomach ulcers may be bacterial infection due to Helicobacter pylori, excess use of non-inflammatory drugs, over-acidity, or Zollinger Ellison disease.
If left untreated or ignored, the symptoms might become severe and harm you more. so, it is better to get it diagnosed at an early stage so that it can treated or reversed with a few home remedies. Here are a few ways that can help treat stomach ulcers.
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What Are The Possible Complications
An untreated ulcer that swells or scars can block your digestive tract. It can also perforate your stomach or small intestine, infecting your abdominal cavity. That causes a condition known as peritonitis.
A bleeding ulcer can lead to anemia, bloody vomit, or bloody stools. A bleeding ulcer usually results in a hospital stay. Severe internal bleeding is life-threatening. Perforation or serious bleeding may require surgical intervention.
What Are The Risks For People With Ulcers
Why do painkillers raise 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 Advil, Aleve, and Bufferin.
Other pain relievers may be less dangerous. Acetaminophen works differently and poses a much lower risk of GI problems. But like any drug, it does have side effects of its own. You shouldn’t take any over-the-counter painkiller for more than 10 days without your health care provider’s 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.”
What if you have an ulcer and a high risk of heart attack or stroke?Balancing the benefits and risks of these medicines can be tricky, Cryer notes
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What Are Peptic Ulcers
Peptic ulcers are small open sores in the stomach or upper intestine. Sores occur when the lining of the stomach or intestine breaks down and exposes tissue underneath. Ulcers may be gastric or duodenal . Duodenal ulcers occur four times more often than gastric ulcers. Peptic ulcer disease is common. About 15 million people in the United States have peptic ulcer disease.
Effect Of The Surgeons
Until the late 19th century, the abdomen was considered off-limits to the surgeon. In 1879 Pean reported the first partial gastrectomy the patient died. In the Lancet of December 1, 1888, Mackensie reported two patients operated on for perforated ulcers: one was a 35 year old alcoholic who presented with indefinite epigastric pain, one week followed by sudden acute pain, vomiting and collapse. He was operated on second day by Sidney Jones. He died. The second was a 31 year old who had an acute attack resembling intestinal obstruction with peritonitis. He was operated by John Croft on the third day and also died. Until this time, such patients were not brought to the attention of surgeons, or if they were, they were considered inoperable. However, Mackensie pointed out that these patients had conditions that were potentially surgical and surgeons took up the challenge. In 1901 Moynihan was able to compile 51 cases operated in Europe on between 1888 and 1901 involving 40 different surgeons 8 survived. However duodenal ulcer and perforated ulcer was not a new problem having been recognized centuries before. For example Moynihan noted that In 1865 appeared Krauss Das perforirende Geschwur im Duodenum . In this pamphlet there are 80 case records, for the most part in full detail. Between 1863 and 1882 a series of Paris theses appeared, in which a few additional cases were recorded, but nothing material was added to our knowledge.
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What Are Peptic Ulcers And What Causes Them
Peptic ulcers are sores in the inner lining of the stomach or upper small intestine. They form when the digestive juices produced by the stomach erode or eat away the lining of the digestive tract. Peptic ulcers may form in the lining of the stomach or just below the stomach, at the start of the small intestine .
The most common causes of peptic ulcers are infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria and frequent use of aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs .
How Are Peptic Ulcers Treated
Treatment heals the ulcer, helps symptoms, stops relapses, and avoids complications. With treatment, people usually start to feel better in about 2 weeks. Relapses can occur if the risk factors persist.
Two treatment options are drugs and surgery. Medicines to reduce stomach acid include antacids, histamine-2 blockers such as ranitidine or famotidine, and proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole. Sucralfate is another medication that can form a protective coating on the ulcer to help it heal. Antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, and bismuth can be used for H. pylori infection.
Surgery is used when drugs dont work or serious complications occur. Today, surgery is rarely needed.
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Life In 19th Century Europe
Health, height, and welfare: Britain between 1700 and 1980 based on the human development index which is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and income indices used to rank human development. A score below 0.5 signifies low development and 0.8 or greater, high development. Data from.
In 1842 the United Kingdom population was described as prolific, hungry and angry. The towns were described as ill drained and ill built, of dirty brick and grimy stone, with large brutal factory buildings, were probably more like hell than should be the dwelling places of any children of God and the people frequently out of work (e.g., in 1841 in Paisley Scotland between 10000 and 13000 persons, out of a population of about 60000 were dependent on relief. Such were the times during which Charles Dickens wrote his novel Hard Times.
Ulcer Pain That Requires Immediate Attention
If your pain gets severe, you may need to seek immediate medical attention. Symptoms like vomiting or blood in your stool could indicate bleeding. Since bleeding ulcers often heal and then bleed again, they require more extensive treatment regimens. Some people also need IV fluids and blood transfusions in the hospital.
Perforation is when an ulcer leads to a hole in the wall of your stomach. Other perforation symptoms include sudden, severe abdominal pain, a rapid heartbeat, and a low body temperature.
dont eat it if it causes your discomfort
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How Can I Look After Myself If I Have A Peptic Ulcer
As well as seeking help from a healthcare professional, there are things you can do to care for yourself:
- Eat a well-balanced diet and have regular meals.
- Eat smaller meals and eat your evening meal 34 hours before going to bed.
- Identify and avoid food and drinks that make the pain worse
- Antacids can offer short term relief and may help protect the lining of the stomach. You can buy antacids from your local pharmacy.
Other Options For Pain Relief
Painkillers aren’t the only answer for many of life’s aches and pains. Many effective and safe alternatives don’t have any side effects at all.
- Ice packs, for acute injuries such as a sprained ankle, can keep down swelling and ease pain.
- Heat with a hot towel or heating pad can be helpful for treating chronic overuse injuries.
- Physical activity can help reduce some kinds of discomfort, such as arthritis pain.
- Relaxation with techniques such as yoga or meditation — may reduce pain. Biofeedback may help as well. These approaches are best for pain that’s amplified by stress, such as tension headaches.
- Nontraditional techniques with low risks — such as acupuncture — benefit some people.
So remember: Pain relief doesn’t only come from a pill bottle.
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