As humorous and inviting as the title may be, having an ulcer is not a laughing matter. Today, stomach/peptic ulcers affect up to 80% of the country’s population. Chances are, if you haven’t had one yourself, you know at least one person who has had one, or at the very least you’ve heard of them. Regardless of your knowledge level, here’s some useful information which may help to prevent, recognize, and treat this growing problem.

What is an ulcer and what causes it?

A peptic ulcer is a crater shaped sore or hole in the inner lining of the stomach. It is developed when there is an erosion of the stomach’s protective layer. To provide some background information, the breakdown and absorption of nutrients from food and drinks occurs within the digestive tract. The digestive tract comes equipped with a mucosal lining (protective layer) that acts as a barrier zone to help protect the actual lining of the digestive tract from abrasions and breakdown. When this protective layer is damaged, it creates a hole in the inner lining of the stomach, resulting in an ulcer.

The damage to the protective layer is caused when the digestive juices produced by the stomach erode or eat away at the lining of the digestive track. In essence, the digestive tract begins to digest itself. Ouch!! Needless to say, this is a very painful condition. The majority of peptic ulcers have been linked to infection from a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori, ironically enough, is a naturally present bacteria in the digestive tract. Trouble occurs when the bacteria begins to colonize or burrow into the actual lining of the digestive tract. This paves the way for acid to eat its way through. On the other hand, not every peptic ulcer is due to bacterial infection. Although many people may be infected with the bacteria, certain practices, primarily the excessive use of medicines, such as ibuprofens and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can make the problem worse. In addition, other practices including smoking, excessive alcohol use, and stress can also contribute a lot to the development of ulcers.

Do ulcers only occur in the stomach?

Now, off the top of your head you might think this problem would be restricted to the stomach but not so. Ulcers are classified by location. They can occur anywhere in the body; eyes, veins, skin, but most frequently in the stomach. Peptic ulcers can occur anywhere along the digestive tract, including the esophagus and the intestines. When the digestive juices affect the esophagus, it can result in the painful feeling of acid reflux.

Symptoms/Afflictions

General signs and symptoms of ulcers include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and weight loss. In addition, there is also abdominal pain and coughing up blood. Heartburn and acid reflux are also associated with ulcers. If left unchecked peptic ulcers can lead to perforation (literally a large hole in the wall of an organ) which requires immediate surgery, gastrointestinal bleeding (which can lead to major blood loss/death), and even penetration. This is when the ulcer spreads and begins to corrode other organs located near the digestive tract like the pancreas or liver.

Treatment

In many instances, cases of peptic ulcers go unreported. Many people misdiagnose their conditions to be a result of gas given that the abdominal pain may come and go. In some cases, peptic ulcers may heal by themselves, without medication. The only problem with allowing the ulcer to heal on its own is that

1. The ulcer may come back and

2. Instead of getting better, the condition will worsen.

To be on the safe side, however, it is always best to consult with a physician. Once the cause of the ulcer is determined to be H. pylori, a regiment of antibiotics is prescribed. Once the infection is cleared up, the ulcer will begin to heal on its own. Surgery will be required in cases of perforation, penetration, and severe bleeding. Similarly, if the development of the ulcer is caused by other factors such as stress, the proper treatment will be recommended and provided to ensure a speedy recovery.

In the event you or a loved one are experiencing or are susceptible to peptic ulcers, be sure to consult with a physician or health care provider regarding any concerns.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 6th, 2009 at 5:51 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.