Contrary to be common believe among lay people, that fasting or not eating enough causes stomach ulcer, but that is no longer the case. Several studies have revealed that starvation is bad and can cause ulcer, as well as drinking impure water or abusing drugs like Ibuprofen in the class of NSAIDS can also cause Ulcer.
Your stomach secretes an acid known as gastric acid with a pH of less than 3.5 enough to burn through your skin, why doesn’t this burn your stomach? This is because your stomach is protected by a sheet of mucus like substance that protects it from being destroyed by this acid
When you get infected with H Pylori, it can survive the harsh environment of the stomach by netutralizing the acid around it., it is able to colonise the stomach, sometimes for years, this can lead to inflammation and create a chance for acid to reach the stomach wall
This H Pylori can be gotten from contaminated water, utensils and even from the saliva of infected persons. Careful who you kiss. đź’‹ Many people get this during childhood, but adults can get it too. It can also live in the body for years before people start to get symptoms
Other causes of ulcers are drugs, some drugs can lead to the breakdown of this protective lining, for example drugs like Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, felvin, etc, abuse of these drugs can lead to what you know as ulcer, Some antibiotics can also lead to this condition also
Alcohol also irritates the lining of the stomach and but there is little evidence that it may directly lead to ulcers, same for caffeine and smoking., However these things are risk factors, things that make it easier for you to get an ulcer, others are genetics also
Smoking also, if you already have a H Pylori infection can increase the chances of you getting ulcer, smoking is harmful to the lining of the stomach, Severe stress can also cause ulcer, not traffic stress o. But having burns, severe illness, brain trauma or injury
Some uncommon causes are conditions where people secrete a lot of stomach acid. I won’t bore you with those details. Some people have large cells of the stomach that are enlarged and because of that, secrete more acid than the mucus lining can handle
In simplest of terms, an ulcer is just a wound on the inside of the stomach. To treat it, you would need to remove what is causing the wound and reduce the acid in the stomach so it can heal.
Now you know it might take a while to heal. Ulcers are curable and treatable.
If the cause is an infection, your doctor will treat that infection with antibiotics and drugs that reduce the acid and protect your stomach. There will be tests that to confirm that you have an infection, questions and examinations to determine the exact cause of your ulcer
If you have a stomach ulcer
. Avoid fizzy drinks/alcohol
. Reduce spicy peppery meals
. Don’t fast for long hours. It exposes the wound to more acid
. Don’t SMOKE
. Manage stress
. Limit caffeine
. Avoid drugs known as NSAIDs, inform your doctor also.
