Understanding Peptic Ulcers: Myths, Symptoms, and Treatments...

Blissful morning to you all,
So I was randomly chatting in one of Hive's discord channel when someone mentioned that he didn't want to eat, and another replied, "You are inviting peptic ulcer", Prompting the need to answer this pertinent question,

Does Hunger/ Prolonged Stay Without Food Cause Ulcer?

For decades now, this misconception has been spreading like wildfire and probably derived it's basis from the fact that ulcer pains increases on starvation, however, hunger does not in anyway directly cause peptic ulcer and modern scientific research has debunked that.

In this post, I will be clarifying this misconception while shedding light to the real mechanisms through which peptic ulcer results from...

What is an ulcer?

An ulcer is a discontinuity in the epithelial linings of the body or just say ulcers are lesions, injuries or sores that occur in the epithelial or mucus membranes of the body.
They occur in many parts of the body.
Peptic ulcers is when these ulcers occurs in the stomach linings.

What Are The Causes Of Peptic Ulcers?

• Infection:
  Most peptic ulcers are caused by infection through a mircoorganism called Helicobacter pylori. These mircoorganisms damage the stomach linings predisposing one to ulcers.

• Drugs:
  The excessive use of a class of drugs called Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofens, diclofenacs, aspirins e.t.c. inhibits the prostaglandins which helps protect the stomach's lining and then predisposes them to irritants and ulcers.

Source

These NSAIDS are very easy to abuse as they are painkillers and that's why peptic ulcers are on the increase.

• Imbalance In Acid Production:
  The stomach produces both hydrochloric acids and bicarbonates.
  While bicarbonates acts as protective mechanism for the stomach, hydrochloric acid aids in digestion, kills pathogens and facilitates absorption, however, when it gets excess or there is an imbalance in the production of the two favouring hydrochloric acid, it irritates the stomach linings and causes peptic ulcers too.

Let's Debunk Some Other Misconceptions....

• Spicy Foods: This is also a very popular one that is gaining ground by the day but it's not true. While spicy foods could irritate an already existing peptic ulcer, on its own never causes it.

• An Adult Disease: This is also not true. There is no age limit when it comes to peptic ulcers, it can occur in children, teens and the adults as well from the various scientific mechanisms.

Signs And Symptoms Of Peptic Ulcers

Source

• Stomach burns or pains that gets worse on empty stomach (most common symptom or complaints)
• Nausea
• Bloating
• Bleeding on severe cases such as vomiting blood or black tarry stools (melena)
• Unexplained weight loss

Management Of Peptic Ulcer

This starts from the history down to the treatment in a hospital setting, however, I'll be telling you more of the treatment.

Triple Therapy

This is the treatment of choice for peptic ulcer diseases. It is a combination of drugs called antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors which you take for a period of two weeks or as your attending doctor may prescribe.

Lifestyle Modifications

Also, lifestyle modifications gas got a big role to play in successfully eradicating peptic ulcer:

• Avoiding smoking
• Avoiding the use of NSAIDS drugs and when you must use them take them with a proton pump inhibitor so that it protects the stomach linings.
• Reducing your alcohol intake too.
• Practice good hygiene too

All these are risk factors of peptic ulcers and modifying them appropriately will help reduce peptic ulcer burden in the world.

---

Peptic ulcer disease though very common often has its' causes misunderstood; understanding the symptoms and early presentation to the hospital limits the complications that might arise from this disease.

Hope you learnt something new?

To Read More

• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10350-peptic-ulcer-disease

Thanks for reading and have a nice day 👍

Posted Using InLeo Alpha