What is a Stomach Ulcer?

Also known as gastric ulcers, stomach ulcers are hurting sores in the stomach lining. They fall in the category of peptic ulcer disease that affects both the stomach and small intestine. It occurs when the mucus, protecting the stomach from digestive juices, is lessened. Therefore, the digestive acids could eat away at the tissues that line the stomach, forming an ulcer. It's easy to cure stomach ulcers but without treatment, they can emerge to be severe. Here in this article, we will look into the details of stomach ulcers, the underlying causes, the symptoms accompanying the disease and what are the treatments that would help individuals recover from the same.  
    

Stomach Ulcers: What Causes Them?

The common causes of stomach ulcer are as follow:
•    An infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori
•    Long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen

In some rare cases, a condition named Zollinger-Ellison syndrome might lead to a stomach ulcer by enhancing the body’s acid production. This syndrome usually causes less than 1% of the reported peptic ulcers.

Symptoms of Stomach Ulcers

There are lots of symptoms accompanying stomach ulcers. The symptom severity is based on the ulcer severity. The most common stomach ulcer symptom is a pain sensation in the middle of the abdomen between the chest and belly. Usually, the pain is more on an empty stomach and can last between a few minutes to a few hours.

Besides this, other stomach ulcer symptoms include:
•    Weight loss
•    Dull pain in the stomach
•    Unwillingness to eat due to pain
•    Nausea or vomiting
•    Bloating
•    Acid reflux
•    Heartburn i.e., a burning chest sensation
•    Anemia
•    Coffee grounds vomitus

You should consider visiting the doctor if any of the above symptoms of stomach ulcer persists for longer spans, even though the signs are mild. Because, late diagnosis will lead to delayed treatment and affect the prognosis as well. In some cases, bleeding ulcers can also turn out to be life-threatening.  

Stomach Ulcers: Treatment

Stomach ulcer treatment depends on the cause of the ulcer. In most cases, the same can be treated with a doctor's prescription. In rare cases, there’s a need for surgery. Treatment for the same has to be done promptly, and hence a discussion with your doctor is important to initiate a treatment plan. In the case of an actively bleeding ulcer, the individual has to be admitted to the hospital, for intensive treatment with endoscopy and IV ulcer medications. In some cases, blood transfusions could be needed too.

Nonsurgical Treatment

In case the stomach ulcer emerges due to H. pylori, there is a need for antibiotics and drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They help block the stomach cells that produce acid. Adding to this treatment, the doctor might even recommend:
•    Stopping the use of all NSAIDs
•    H2 Receptor Blockers (drugs that also prevent acid production)
•    Follow-up endoscopy
•    Probiotics (helpful bacteria that could play a part to kill H. pylori)
•    Bismuth supplement

Stomach ulcer symptoms usually vanish with the treatment but you shouldn’t stop taking the medication prescribed by your specialist. This is especially crucial with the infections due to H. pylori to ensure the bacteria are gone.

The medications used to treat stomach ulcers could come with certain side effects including headache, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In most cases, these effects are short-lived. However, if you find them creating extreme trouble for you, consider speaking with your doctor to initiate the needful modifications, as needed.

Surgical Treatment  

In some cases, a stomach ulcer would need a surgical operation. This might be true for ulcers that:
•    Keep on returning
•    Don’t heal
•    Bleed
•    Penetrate through the stomach
•    Keep food flowing out of the stomach in the small intestine

The stomach ulcer surgery might include:
•    Removal of the complete ulcer
•    Taking tissue from another side of the small intestine and putting it over the ulcer side
•    Tying off a bleeding artery
•    Cutting of the nerve supply to the stomach to lessen the stomach acid production

Healthy Diet

Taking a healthy diet could be beneficial for the intestinal tract and the overall physical being of the individual. Normally, it's a good move to have a diet loaded with fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Foods that might be helpful to confront H. pylori or boost the body’s healthy bacteria are:
•    Broccoli, radish, cauliflower, cabbage
•    Spinach, leafy greens
•    Apples
•    Foods rich in probiotic like miso, kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut
•    Olive oil
•    Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries

Also, it's an intelligent move to stay away from having too spicy and oily items especially when an ulcer is in the healing stage.

When to See a Doctor?

In case you find any of the above-listed symptoms lasting for a longer period, make sure to call up your doctor. The stomach ulcer diagnosis right on time is important and with proper treatment, the same is curable. Without treatment, the H. pylori infections worsen and cause:
•    Bleeding from the ulcer side could emerge to be life-threatening
•    Blockage of the digestive tract
•    Perforation takes place if the ulcer forms a hole in the digestive tract wall
•    Penetration of ulcer to other organs like pancreas through the digestive tract wall
•    Stomach cancer especially non-cardia gastric cancer

Wrapping Up

Stomach ulcers are curable after being diagnosed. It's important for the individual facing the related symptoms to make an appointment with the doctor soon without much delay to avoid further worsening. In case of delay, there could be adverse consequences. Most stomach ulcers are cured through prescribed medication, however, in case of some serious ones, surgery is required. It's recommendable to follow a healthy diet during the process and stay away from spicy items.

Note: The article is meant for general awareness of the readers. The information can not be used as a substitute to a medical prescription or diagnosis by a medical professional. In case you experience above or related symptoms, kindly consult a registered medical professional.

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