AskDrShah.com

Hi everyone, hope we are all doing great. We will be discussing the medical condition Peptic ulcer today. Recently, I saw a post on facebook on this condition and to be totally upfront, it is a common condition among individuals with lots of misconception on the causes and management. Therefore, this post today is aimed at giving out the right information on this ailment. So lets kick off.

What is ulcer?

Ulcer is a wound on a part of the body. Therefore, peptic ulcer as the name implies is a wound or sore by the stomach acid secretions on the lining of the oesophagus, stomach or small intestine.

Types of peptic ulcer

There are two major types of peptic ulcer

1. Gastric ulcer
2. Duodenal ulcer

Features of gastric ulcer

• occurs in the stomach
• abdominal pain can't be relieved by eating
• less likely to awaken patient in the night
• presents with melena (dark tarry stool) and haematemesis (bloody vomit) since it occurs at the upper gastrointestinal tract.
• epigastric pain 1-2 hours after eating

Features of duodenal ulcer

• occurs in the upper part of the small intestine (duodenum)
• abdominal pain can be relieved by eating
• often awakens patient at night
• presents with fresh blood in stool unlike gastric ulcer.
• epigastric pain 2-5 hours after eating

Causes of peptic ulcer

Ulcer is majorly caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori and long-term use of NSAIDS such as Ibuprofen

Risk factors

• History of peptic ulcer
• Lifestyle such as smoking and alcohol consumption.

Does stress and spicy food cause ulcer?

Answer is No. They only exacerbate the symptoms.

Image created by me on canva

The most common symptom is a dull or burning pain in your belly which usually occurs around meal time and may last from a few minutes to a few hours.
'' Other symptoms include '' JohnHopkins medicine

• burping
• nausea and vomiting which may contain blood
• anorexia
• weight loss and fatigue
• referred pain (i.e. pain that occurs in another location away from the main source of pain)

Management

This includes both conservative and pharmacological management.

Conservative management

• Lifestyle modification which includes quitting smoking and limiting alcohol/caffeine intake
• Protecting oneself from infections and early treatment.
• Not using NSAIDS (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
• Avoid certain foods ( fried and spicy foods, fruits/foods with high acidic and gas contents such as pineapple and cabbage.

So you may ask what kind of foods can i take then?

Foods such as yoghurt which contains probiotics, a good bacteria and fibre -rich foods such as apple and oatmeal which lowers the acid content in the stomach thereby easing bloating and pain are good for consumption

Pharmacological management
This ranges from the use of antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors eg. Omeprazole, H2- blockers eg. Cimetidine and Antacids.

Please avoid self-medications and visit the nearest hospital for quality medical care if symptom presents

Complications of peptic ulcer

• Bleeding
• Perforation
• Peritonitis - inflammation and infection of the abdominal cavity due to perforation
• Obstruction - narrowing and blocking as a result of scar tissues from the wound.

A major misconception: Milk heals ulcer

Many are of the opinion that milk heals ulcer but here is the right information below

it may soothe it for a few seconds but the condition worsens because milk itself increases the acidic content of the stomach. Thus, worsening the symptoms of peptic ulcer

Thanks for engaging in my post and i hope you learn a lot from it. See you all next time

References

AskDrShah.com
JohnHopkins medicine