What To Eat For Ulcer Pain

What Is Best Treatment For Stomach/duodenal Ulcers

There are several ways to treat stomach and duodenal ulcers. One of the most common causes of stomach ulcers is Helicobacter pylori.

This bacterium is more prevalent in some populations than others. But even in people who have antibodies to H. pylori, the bacteria can cause ulcers.

This is because H. pylori can live in the stomach without causing an ulcer, but it can also cause ulcers in the small intestine.

However, there is no definitive test to tell if someone is infected, and treatment can be both time-consuming and expensive.

There are many different types of ulcers, and many different ways to treat them. Ulcers can be mild and can go away on their own, or they can be more severe and require medical help.

Luckily, there are a number of ways to help treat stomach and duodenal ulcer. Treatments include taking antacids , avoiding foods that cause stomach pain, and even surgery.

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 they’re taken for a long time or at high doses

It used to be thought that stress or certain foods might cause stomach ulcers, but there’s little evidence to suggest this is the case.

Read more about the causes of stomach ulcers.

Dietary Fiber & Vitamin A

Vitamin A and fiber are two of the most essential nutrients in the human diet, and both play a huge role in the prevention and healing of ulcers. Vitamin A, in particular, helps to ward off ulcers by inhibiting cell damage caused by free radicals and by reducing inflammation in the stomach.

Fiber, on the other hand, helps your body to produce mucus, which acts as a protective layer for the digestive tract.

Ulcers are sores on the inside lining of your stomach or the digestive tract. If youre wondering how to get rid of stomach ulcers , youre not alone. The good news is there are several foods you can eat that may help treat or even prevent them.

So, how can food help heal your ulcers? There are a few key nutrients youll want to stock up on: fiber and vitamin A. Fiber is important because it can help protect your gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin A, on the other hand, plays an important role in maintaining the health of your mucosal lining, which is vital to preventing ulcers.

The fiber found in fruits and vegetables is a key component of your digestive system. It is necessary for the movement of food through your system.

Also Check: List Of Foods Good For Ulcers

What Ulcer Treatments Are Available

If your ulcer is bleeding, your doctor may treat it during an endoscopy procedure by injecting medications into it. Your doctor could also use a clamp or cauterization to seal it off and stop the bleeding.

For most people, doctors treat ulcers with medications, including:

• Proton pump inhibitors : These drugs reduce acid, which allows the ulcer to heal. PPIs include Prilosec®, Prevacid®, Aciphex®, Protonix® and Nexium®.
• Histamine receptor blockers : These drugs also reduce acid production and include Tagamet®, Pepcid®, Zantac® and Axid®.
• Antibiotics: These medications kill bacteria. Doctors use them to treat H. pylori.
• Protective medications: Like a liquid bandage, these medications cover the ulcer in a protective layer to prevent further damage from digestive acids and enzymes. Doctors commonly recommend Carafate® or Pepto-Bismol®.

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Fruits Vegetables Whole Grains And Other Foods High In Fibre Can Prevent Ulcers

Add another star to fibres crown. Besides keeping you regular, fibre has a role in keeping ulcers at bay, especially those in the duodenum. A number of studies have found that people who eat high-fibre diets have a lower risk of developing ulcers. In the Physicians Health Study from Harvard, researchers looked at the diets of 47,806 men and found that those who ate 11 grams or more of fibre from vegetables had a 32 per cent lower risk of developing duodenal ulcers.

Scientists arent sure how fibre helps, but it may be thanks to the fact that it slows the emptying of the stomach and thus reduces the amount of time the stomach lining and duodenum are exposed to digestive acids. Soluble fibre, the kind found in oats, beans, barley, peas, and pears, also forms a slippery goo in the stomach that acts as a barrier between the stomach lining and corrosive stomach acids.

Recommended dose: General health guidelines suggest getting 25 to 35 grams of fibre a day.

Find out 30 painless ways to sneak more fibre into your diet.

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What Treatments Can Relieve Ulcer Pain

While over-the-counter medications can treat an upset stomach, they are generally not effective in treating ulcers. And taking over-the-counter painkillers could worsen the problem. That is why its better to see a doctor, who may combine several medications and therapies to relieve pain, cure the infection, and prevent it from worsening. Medications usually include:

Your doctor may also recommend making lifestyle modifications, including:

• Avoiding spicy and oily food

Who Is More Likely To Get Ulcers

One in 10 people develops an ulcer. Risk factors that make ulcers more likely include:

• Frequent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , a group of common pain relievers that includes ibuprofen .

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Cranberry and cranberry extract also may help fight H. pylori . You can drink cranberry juice, eat cranberries, or take cranberry supplements. No specific amount of consumption is associated with relief.

Beside above, can soda burn a hole in your stomach? Drinking sodas, especially on an empty stomach, can upset the fragile acid-alkaline balance of the stomach and other gastric lining, creating a continuous acid environment.

Also asked, does Soda Make gastritis worse?

Foods that are high in fat may worsen inflammation in the lining of the stomach. Some other foods to avoid because they can irritate the stomach are: fried foods. carbonated drinks.

What foods aggravate a stomach ulcer?

Foods to limit when you have acid reflux and an ulcer

• coffee.

You may find relief from the pain of a stomach ulcer if you:

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Diagnosis Of A Stomach Ulcer

Diagnosing a stomach ulcer is done using a range of methods, including:

• Endoscopy a thin flexible tube is threaded down the oesophagus into the stomach under light anaesthesia. The endoscope is fitted with a small camera so the physician can see if there is an ulcer.
• Barium meal a chalky liquid is drunk and an x-ray is performed, showing the stomach lining. These tests are less common nowadays, but may be useful where endoscopy is unavailable.
• Biopsy a small tissue sample is taken during an endoscopy and tested in a laboratory. This biopsy should always be done if a gastric ulcer is found.
• C14 breath test this checks for the presence of H. pylori. The bacteria convert urea into carbon dioxide. The test involves swallowing an amount of radioactive carbon and testing the air exhaled from the lungs. A non-radioactive test can be used for children and pregnant women.

Is There A Peptic Ulcer Diet Plan

No particular diet is helpful for people with peptic ulcers. At one time, a bland diet and avoidance of spicy or greasy foods was recommended. Milk and dairy food have been used in the past for ulcer symptoms, but have not been proven to be effective. We now know diet has little effect on ulcers. In some people, however, certain foods seem to aggravate stomach ulcer symptoms. Keep a food diary with your intake and the resulting symptoms and avoid eating any foods that aggravate symptoms.

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What To Eat If You Have A Stomach Ulcer

Since H. pylori bacteria is now known to be an important cause of ulcer formation, scientists are exploring what foods may have a role in fighting against an infection.

In addition to taking the antibiotics and acid-blocking medications recommended by your doctor for your ulcer treatment, eating these foods may also be helpful against the ulcer-causing bacteria:

• cauliflower

for ulcer treatment. These foods, such as miso, sauerkraut, and kimchi, may prevent reinfection.

Turmeric is currently being studied as a potential treatment for ulcers as well.

Garlic, decaffeinated green tea, and licorice round out the list of things you might want to incorporate in your diet.

Green Tea And Flavonoid

Emerging research from China shows the potential protective effects of green tea and other foods that are rich in flavonoids against chronic gastritis, H. pylori infection, and stomach cancer. Specifically, these foods seem to inhibit the growth of H. pylori.

In addition, one recent laboratory study of green, white, oolong, and black teas indicated that these teas inhibit the growth of H. pylori but cause no harm to beneficial types of bacteria normally found in the stomach, including L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, and B. lungum. However, this was an in vitro study, which means testing occurred directly between teas and bacteria in the laboratory, and we cannot draw direct conclusions as to what would happen inside the human body between these two substances. Beneficial effects in the laboratory were best when tea steeped for a full five minutes.

Flavonoid-rich foods include garlic, onions, and colourful fruits and vegetables such as cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, and snap peas.4,5

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Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cauliflower And Kale Can Help Prevent Ulcers

These cruciferous vegetables all contain sulforaphane, a compound that appears to squelch H. pylori. In one study, after patients who tested positive for the bacteria ate a half cup of broccoli sprouts twice daily for seven days, 78 per cent tested negative for the bacteria. Other studies, on mice, have shown that sulforaphane extracts can successfully destroy the bacteria in the mices digestive tracts.

Recommended dose: Consider eating a cup a day of broccoli, raw or cooked, or broccoli sprouts. Not only will the broccoli begin to battle your ulcer, but it will also provide more than a days worth of vitamin C and a generous amount of fibre: two more allies in the fight against ulcers.

Check out more impressive health benefits of Brussels sprouts.

What Helps With Duodenal Ulcer Pain

Duodenal ulcers are a painful condition that can be caused by bacteria in the stomach or the small intestine.

This type of ulcer is also known as a gastric ulcer. They occur in the lower portion of the esophagus or the lower part of the small intestine.

They are usually painful and can be associated with nausea and vomiting. Duodenal ulcers are more common in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

There are many ways you can help with duodenal ulcer pain, but the most effective method is to treat the cause, not just the symptoms.

Many of the causes of duodenal ulcers are linked to poor diet. When you eat foods that irritate your digestive system, it causes pain and swelling.

Some of the foods that cause duodenal ulcers include coffee, alcohol, citrus fruit, chocolate, spicy foods, and fried foods.

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Eating To Fight Peptic Ulcers

People used to say stomach ulcers were caused by too much stress or spicy food, and the best thing to do when the pain flared up was to drink a nice big glass of milk. It turns out everything about that statement was wrong.

What they are

A peptic ulcer is an open sore that develops on the inside lining of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine. They typically cause burning stomach pain, especially when the stomach is empty. They also may cause bloating, belching, heartburn, nausea, or intolerance to fatty foods. Occasionally, ulcers can cause severe symptoms, like blood in vomit or stools, or trouble breathing, and can lead to gastric cancer.

Since 1982, when scientists discovered that many peptic ulcers are caused by a bacterium called H. pylori, antibiotics, along with medicines that decrease stomach acid, have been the main treatment. Ulcers also can be caused by over-the-counter pain medications, including aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium , but not acetaminophen . Smoking and stress can make ulcers worse.

What to eat

What may help

For ulcers caused by H. pylori, a 2015 review in the journal Nutrition Research explored which foods help, and which dont. The following foods and extracts are the most promising choices to help fight H. pylori:

Probiotics in yogurt, the fermented milk product kefir, and commercial probiotic products may help standard therapy work better and could lessen treatment side effects .

What may not help

Bottom line

Which Foods Can I Eat And Drink

Eat a variety of healthy foods from all the food groups. Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy foods. Whole grains include whole-wheat breads, cereals, pasta, and brown rice. Choose lean meats, poultry , fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. A healthy meal plan is low in unhealthy fats, salt, and added sugar. Healthy fats include olive oil and canola oil. Ask your dietitian for more information about a healthy meal plan.

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What Causes Peptic Ulcers

In the past, experts thought lifestyle factors such as stress and diet caused ulcers. Today we know that stomach acids and other digestive juices help create ulcers. These fluids burn the linings of your organs.

Causes of peptic ulcers include:

• H. pylori bacteria . Most ulcers are caused by an infection from a bacteria or germ called H. pylori. This bacteria hurts the mucus that protects the lining of your stomach and the first part of your small intestine . Stomach acid then gets through to the lining.
• NSAIDs . These are over-the-counter pain and fever medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Over time they can damage the mucus that protects the lining of your stomach.

The Diet Recommendations Listed Below May Help Decrease Stomach Acid And Reflux:

Eat three small meals and three snacks evenly spaced throughout the day.

Avoid long periods of fasting or overeating.

Eat slowly and chew food well.

Be relaxed at mealtime

Sit up while eating and for 1 hour afterward

Avoid eating within 3 hours before bedtime. Bedtime snacks can cause gastric acid secretion during the night.

Eat low fat foods

Limit caffeinated foods and beverages, citrus and tomato products, and chocolate.

Include a good source of protein at each meal and snack

Antacids should be taken in the prescribed dose, 30 to 60 minutes before or 3 hours after meals.

Milk and cream feedings should not be used as antacid therapy.

Although milk protein has an initial neutralizing effect on gastric acid, it is also a very potent stimulator.

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Recommended Reading: Foods That Irritate Stomach Ulcers

How Treatment Causes Mouth Sores

Mouth sores are common among people undergoing cancer treatment.

The sores form on the inside lining of the mouth or lips and can often be extremely painful, making it difficult to eat, talk, and swallow. The sores may even extend into the esophagus that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

Both chemotherapy and radiation can cause mouth sores. Chemotherapy not only targets cancer cells but other fast-replicating cells, including the mucosal tissues of the mouth.

Radiation impairs the bodyâs immune system, increasing your vulnerability to infection.

Both of these factors contribute to the development and severity of mouth sores.

Making Lifestyle Changes To Relieve Ulcer Pain

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What Are The Symptoms Of Peptic Ulcers

Each persons symptoms may vary. In some cases ulcers dont cause any symptoms.

The most common ulcer symptom is a dull or burning pain in your belly between your breastbone and your belly button . This pain often occurs around meal times and may wake you up at night. It can last from a few minutes to a few hours.

Less common ulcer symptoms may include:

• Feeling full after eating a small amount of food
• Burping
• Bloody or black stool
• Vomiting blood

Peptic ulcer symptoms may look like other health problems. Always see your healthcare provider to be sure.