Peptic ulcer can be really painful and it is easy to confuse them with other stomach diseases. Here are all the symptoms of peptic ulcers you should know about.
Ulcers are painful sores that originate in or on your body. They usually occur due to different causes and are to be treated depending on their root cause. There are many different types of ulcers, but the most common ulcers that many suffer from are peptic ulcers.
What Are Peptic Ulcers?
Peptic ulcers or stomach ulcers are painful sores that develop in the lining of your digestive system. These sores can form in your stomach, small intestines, or oesophagus. Due to their placement, they are harder to detect, and their symptoms are similar to those of other digestive issues.
Symptoms of Peptic Ulcers
- Abdominal pains and burning sensation
- Loss of appetite
- Trouble sleeping due to pain
- Acid reflux
In most cases, ulcers can be detected by pain or a burning sensation in the stomach. It is a more prominent empty stomach. Mild ulcers usually remain undetected as the symptoms are hardly felt or may go away in a few minutes. But, in some severe cases, like when the ulcers start bleeding, you may observe – changes in body weight, bleeding in stools, vomiting blood or dark vomit, dizzying spells, nausea, etc.
Causes of Peptic Ulcers
In order to treat peptic ulcers, it is essential to figure out the reason they occurred in the first place. These ulcers can be caused due to the following reasons:
- Infection: Almost 80% of the time, infection, H. Pylori, is the reason behind your suffering from ulcers.H. Pylori is a type of bacterias that enter and live in your digestive tract. More than half of the population have H. Pylori present in their body. These bacteria usually remain in your body without harming you. These may be spread through food, water, or body fluids.
- Medication: Regular usage of painkillers or other strong medications can destroy your stomach lining and increase the risk of stomach ulcer. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin and other over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers, can irritate or cause irritation to the small intestine. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others), naproxen sodium (Aleve, Anaprox DS, and others), ketoprofen, and other drugs are among them.
- Smoking or Drinking alcohol: If you already have H. Pylori present in your body, smoking or drinking alcohol can increase the risk of ulcers. Additionally, they harm the stomach lining aggravating your symptoms.
Treatments
As the leading cause of ulcer is the presence of H. Pylori bacteria, they can not be detected easily. Not many doctors even look for their presence unless absolutely necessary. This means that getting treated for it is also rare.
At iThrive, in case of ulcer, we ask you to take tests to find out the presence of H. Pylori and the volume they are present.
Here are a few ways you can prevent or treat the harmful effects of H. Pylori:
- Oregano Oil: This is a good antibiotic and can be taken with your meals. The best way to take it is by pouring two drops under the tongue while eating.
- Raw Garlic Cloves: They have great antibacterial effects and can be used as a garnish on your meals.
- Cinnamon and Turmeric: They can be used during cooking as they have properties that help in killing H. Pylori bacteria or at least hamper their growth.
- Coconut Oil: Cooking your meals in coconut oil has monolaurin reported to help get rid of H. Pylori.
- Mastic Gum: It is recommended to chew around 2 to 3 gums per day. Studies have been conducted showcasing their effectiveness.
- Olive Leaf Extract: They have been said to have antibacterial properties that help in getting rid of H. Pylori bacteria.
