Understanding the pathological effect of peptic ulcers and why it affects our health including the heart

ulcer in our environment today, is generally turning out to be common. Even children of 5 years and above are being infected with peptic ulcer. What might actually be the issue and how can it possibly affect our heart. Let's begin

Peptic ulcer are of two types. The one that occurs in the first part of the duodenum is called duodenal ulcer while the one that happens in the stomach is termed gastric ulcer. The both names are collectively called peptic ulcer.

Peptic ulcer is nothing but a breakage in the internal skin of the duodenum and the stomach. This cut or break are always difficult to heal due to the fact that it is located inside where air and many other factors cannot play a role.

Ulcer are majorly caused by two factors, which are NSAID(Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and helicobacter pylori.

NSAID are drugs that reduces inflammation and pains from the body. This drugs can lead to ulcer by interfering with the stomach protective measures. On a normal there is presence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, the stomach tries to produce some protective measures that could help to prevent the acid from causing damages to the body.

These protective measures includes production of mucus and bicarbonate by foveolar cells. The bicarbonate helps to neutralize the stomach acid and helps to prevent damages on the endothelial cells of the stomach.

Once this NSAID is being taken for a long period of time, it slows the production of this mucus and also changes it's structure.
Also prostaglandins which is a class of lipid produced by an enzyme in the body is affected. This prostaglandins has an effect on pain receptors. The NSAID blocks the enzyme that helps in the production of prostaglandins and prevents prostaglandins from being produced.

Once prostaglandins are hindered from being produced, it therefore causes a breakage in the area where it is being secreted. Remember suppression of the stomach protective lining is what triggers ulceration and NSAID is one of the factors that suppresses them.

Coming to the second thing that causes ulcer which is helicobacter pylori. This is a bacteria that grows mainly in the digestive tract of a human. It has been estimated as of 2018 that 44 percent of people world wide have this bacteria. One confusing thing about this bacteria is it's ability to withstand the acidic nature of the stomach.

Sometimes people who have this bacteria shows no sign or symptom but in some other individual can result to a devastating condition. This bacteria also has the ability to change or neutralize the acidic condition of the stomach in other to survive in the environment.

Helicobacter pylori due to its spiral shape has the ability to penetrate the stomach lining where it causes a lot of damages like ulceration of the stomach and gastritis (inflammation of the stomach).

Haven understood helicobacter pylori and NSAID. Do you know that peptic ulcers diagnosis are divided into two parts. The ulcer caused by a bacteria named helicobacter pylori is quite different from the one of NSAID. Both of them have different test strip and different approach of treatment.

An ulcer caused by NSAID are mainly treated with antacids alone but for helicobacter pylori, it demands the use of both antacids and antibacterial drugs. Reason being that helicobacter pylori is a bacteria that demands to be treated with antibacterial drugs.

According to research on June 16, 2005 Helicobacter pylori has also been found to be one of the reason behind irregular heartbeat.

Irregular heartbeat which can also be known as atrial fibrillation can be detrimental if not being taken care of. This disease has found to cause pooling of blood in the heart chamber which may amount to increase in blood clotting resulting in death of an individual.

Do you know that most people with atrial fibrillation is more likely to test positive of helicobacter pylori if tested. This is because most people with helicobacter pylori are more likely to have atrial fibrillation.

Lets take a glance look at this👇

Italian researchers say the idea for the study came after they discovered that many of the patients treated at their cardiology clinic for atrial fibrillation also had stomach problems. They tested 59 people with persistent atrial fibrillation for H. pylori and C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation that is associated with heart disease and other health problems. They compared the results with those of 45 healthy volunteers.The results, which appear in the current issue of the journal Heart, showed that H. pylori was nearly 20 times more common in people with atrial fibrillation than in the comparison group. In addition, C-reactive protein levels were about five times higher among those with atrial fibrillationsource

At this point I guess you have understood why helicobacter pylori is very dangerous to our body system. Its effect can cause a whole lot of damages which may be more detrimental to our health.

in conclusion

Peptic ulcer is a disease which many of us have taken for granted. Most people with this disease pay little or no attention to themselves.

It is high time we start minimizing some of the things that could possibly cause this disease and minimize the rate at which we take pain relief.