Do you still have stomach pains? It could be ulcers

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Do you have heartburn, flatulence, nausea, you have no appetite, do you have stomach pain? Or are you being haunted by constipation? Go to the gastroenterologist, you probably suffer from peptic ulcer disease, which can be successfully treated.

One in ten Poles suffer from gastric or duodenal ulcers. Most of the sick people are young or middle-aged, but teenagers and children are also affected by the disease. Ulcers are much more likely to be located in the duodenum than in the stomach, and they mainly affect men.

Where is it coming from?

Stomach ulcers used to be referred to as a headache disease. It was believed that the disease was the result of a stressful lifestyle and unsystematic eating associated with the boss’s work. However, it soon turned out that people who lead a quiet life also suffer from it. It was therefore concluded that the direct cause of ulcer formation is the so-called hyperacidity, i.e. excess stomach acids, especially hydrochloric acid, which has strong caustic properties. The patients were therefore given agents that inhibit or neutralize gastric acid secretion. But it turned out not to be enough. Despite the systematic use of drugs, most of them – reportedly even 90 percent. – stomach ulcers have come back. Patients suffered and doctors were helpless. Finally, in 1983, a great discovery was made.

Two scientists Marshal and Warren discovered that the cause of the problem is a bacterium – Helicobacter pylori. But they weren’t the first. Almost a hundred years earlier, Walery Jaworski, a Polish doctor from the Jagiellonian University, was the first to describe the presence of spiral bacteria in the human stomach. Today it is known that it is also found in tartar and carious lesions. The carriers of this bacteria are nearly 90 percent. Poles over XNUMX years of age, although it is not known why not all infected, it is equally aggressive.

At first, doctors doubted that any bacteria could survive in a stomach with a lot of hydrochloric acid. However, it soon turned out that the spiraled bacterium produces significant amounts of the urease enzyme that changes the pH around it. The bacterium itself tightly adheres to the stomach wall and thus can live in favorable conditions. The bacteria stuck to the gastric mucosa damages its cells, causing inflammation. It is also known that its presence promotes the increased secretion of gastric acid.

How does it look like?

A stomach ulcer is a small crater-like defect (erosion) of the gastric or duodenal mucosa (the first segment of the small intestine, the so-called bulb). Rarely, an ulcer forms in the esophagus, and if so, in the lower part of the esophagus, which may be exposed to stomach acid. An ulcer located in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, and slightly below it is called a duodenal ulcer. Doctors often refer to peptic ulcers to highlight the fact that they only show up in the part of the digestive tract where pepsin is found, an enzyme found in the stomach that digests proteins. Cavities that form in the walls of the stomach or duodenum can vary in size (diameter) – from peppercorns, cherry stones to several or even several centimeters. The morning light can be extensive or deep – from a few to several millimeters.

Despite many years and even centuries of research into the causes of ulcer formation, until today no clear answer has been obtained as to who or what is responsible for it. There are many suspects.

Hydrochloric acid is part of gastric juice. It is produced by cells in the mucosa that lines the inside of the stomach. Gastric juices play an important role in the digestive process; they destroy bacteria that reach the digestive tract with food, participate in the digestion of proteins and fats, and stimulate the duodenum to produce intestinal hormones, which in turn increase the production of other substances necessary for further digestion of food, e.g. pancreatic juice and bile. When nothing happens, gastric juices are not dangerous because the walls of the stomach are protected by a thick layer of mucus. But when there is too much hydrochloric acid in the gastric acid, it easily crosses the protective barrier and damages the mucosa, which often leads to the formation of ulcers. But not only acid and Helicobacter pylori are responsible for the formation of stomach ulcers. Increasingly, doctors talk about the genetic origin of the disease.

YANGO kale extract can be used prophylactically against stomach ulcers. Kale supports the functioning of the digestive system.

It’s not just a question of genes

In 50 percent stomach ulcers run in families. The genetic origin of the disease is also supported by the fact that it occurs by 30-40 percent. more often in patients with group 0 than in people with other blood groups. Another cause may be the regurgitation of bile into the stomach. When everything is functioning smoothly in our body, it is only in the duodenum. When something fails, it returns to the stomach and damages its walls. Ulcers may also result from the excessive use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid and anti-rheumatic drugs, which almost always damage the gastric mucosa.

Stress is also an ally of ulcers. All emotions – good and bad – affect the work of the central nervous system, which has a significant impact on the work of the digestive system. The so-called endings are located in the stomach wall. vagus nerves that stimulate the production of gastric juices. People who live under stress for many months or years provoke their body to secrete more acid, and hence the straight path to the development of ulcers. Alcohol abuse and smoking play a huge role, especially in stressful situations.

Pain and burning sensation

The symptoms of ulcers depend on the location and age of the affected person. Older adults suffer less from ulcers. The most common complaint is pain in the center of the abdomen, below the breastbone or above the navel. Patients describe it as burning, and sometimes feel hungry. It is often accompanied by nausea, belching, gas, and sometimes even vomiting. Unfortunately, only half of patients have typical symptoms, which is why it sometimes becomes difficult for a doctor to make a diagnosis.

Pain after eating is characteristic of stomach ulcers. Usually it appears 30-60 minutes after a meal, especially spicy, sour or after eating broth. There is also gas, nausea and vomiting.

In duodenal ulcers, pain occurs immediately after waking up and decreases 2-3 hours after eating a meal. Often at night or in the early morning, sucking pain, sometimes referred to as hunger pain, occurs. Eating anything or drinking a little milk helps to relieve it. In both cases, the symptoms occur not only in the advanced stages of gastric ulcers.

Even slight erosions can also be the cause of nagging pain. They also require treatment because they can turn into ulcers. Most often this happens in spring and autumn, two so-called transitional seasons. One of the theories of such seasonality of the disease explains that it is during these periods that Helicobacter pylori becomes particularly active and readily reproduces.

The camera in the stomach

Gastroscopy can be used to diagnose gastric ulcers. During the examination, the doctor inserts a flexible tube through the patient’s esophagus, at the end of which there is a tiny camera. It is thanks to her that she can see the gastric and duodenal mucosa on the monitor screen, and she can also take samples for examination. This is necessary in the case of ulcers that can turn into neoplastic lesions, and without careful examination under a microscope, they are difficult to distinguish from “ordinary” ulcers. Examination of the sample can also confirm the presence of Helicobacter pylori.

Because even an experienced doctor may miss about 10 percent of the time during the examination. of ulcer lesions, it is recommended that people suspected of having ulcers have an X-ray of the gastrointestinal tract. They are performed after taking the so-called contrast.

2-3 days before the examination, you must remove the bloating products from the diet, because gases in the intestines worsen the quality of the pictures. On the eve of the examination, we should not eat dinner anymore, and we should not even drink until the examination – the stomach must be empty at the time of x-ray. A few minutes before the x-ray, we get the contrast to drink. Usually it contains a barite suspension, thanks to which the organ is better visible on the film.

Another type of gastric ulcer test is the so-called CT, i.e. computed tomography of the gastrointestinal tract. Before the examination, we are given a contrast agent intravenously. Just like before X-ray, we shouldn’t eat anything from the day before, but before CT we get water to drink so that the stomach is full and it is better visible in the pictures. Then we lie down on the movable table. We can be fully dressed, but without ornaments, e.g. earrings, pendants, a watch and a belt. The table enters the so-called tunnel. gantry. There is an X-ray tube, a detector that records radiation and a computer that converts it into an image. The lamp makes circles around us. After each, he stops for a moment, and the bed moves a little bit forward, and the lamp begins to circle again. The monitor shows the examined organ in the form of transverse, as if cut slices. Each of them is later viewed by a specialist in the photo.

During the examination, you can freely enlarge and divide the obtained images. Thanks to this, the radiologist can detect the smallest changes in the examined organ. In modern tomographs, the lamp moves in a spiral around us, so it is not necessary to stop and move the bed. This shortens the examination time and reduces the dose of radiation received. The examination is painless and safe. However, it is not recommended for pregnant women as the X-ray rays could damage the fetus.

If we suffer from claustrophobia, this must be said before the examination. Perhaps the doctor will give us a mild sedative. Allergy sufferers should also tell their doctor about their condition – it may happen that you have an allergic reaction to contrast. The doctor must therefore prepare properly for such a situation.

Some patients would prefer to have an ultrasound because they are afraid of the next dose of radiation. It must be remembered that only a doctor can choose the type of diagnostic test. Moreover, ultrasound is not very suitable for the diagnosis of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. Using an ultrasound examination, it is possible to determine where in our abdominal cavity the source of the pain is, or the cause of the enlargement of certain organs. A variation of this test is the so-called doppler, it allows you to check the condition of blood vessels supplying a given organ with blood. Thus, it is possible to assess whether the stomach is well nourished, whether its walls are of the correct thickness, etc.

Stomach ulcer test

Since peptic ulcer disease is sometimes inherited, and Helicobacter pylori is very easy to get infected, even during a kiss, it is worth having a test for the presence of this bacteria, especially when someone close to you has stomach problems. The test can be carried out in an analytical laboratory (costs about PLN 40) or independently at home, using the kit available in pharmacies. Helico Test (PLN 35-40) is not complicated. Just take a drop of blood from your finger and, after appropriate dilution (instructions are included in the package) – apply to the so-called test field. After a few minutes, there are results. The vertical, dark red line in the test field indicates that there are IgG anti Hp antibodies in the blood, which is a very high probability of the presence or recent infection with the bacterium. This does not confirm the existence of ulcers (25% of people diagnosed with the bacterium do not have ulcers), so you need to see a doctor so that he can order further diagnostic tests.

1. Also check what are the functional disorders of the stomach and duodenum

Stomach ulcers – treatment with antibiotics

If it turns out that your gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach or duodenum, is not going well, you should undergo the treatment prescribed by your doctor. Even when you find out that Helicobacter pylori is the cause of your trouble and pain, don’t panic. The bacterium, although very hardy and persistent, can be defeated. After years of experiments, an effective remedy was found. It is fought by the so-called a proton pump inhibitor (e.g. omeprazole, lansoprazole). It reduces the secretion of hydrochloric acid to almost zero. Two antibiotics are taken at the same time: clarithromycin and amoxicillin or metronidazole. A weekly treatment guarantees over 90 percent of gastric ulcer healing. On the following days (1-2 weeks), a protron pump inhibitor is taken again a day. Thanks to these drugs, stomach ulcers are almost never removed surgically. But the treatment must always be completed.

In addition, doctors still recommend preparations that reduce the secretion of hydrochloric acid, as well as drugs that protect the gastric mucosa and accelerate the healing of ulcers. The ulcer patients themselves also reach for preparations (so-called milks) that neutralize hydrochloric acid or tablets. However, they should not be abused. It is best to determine the dose of these drugs with your doctor. People with sporadic stomach problems and occasionally reaching for “something” for the stomach should remember that one tablet will not help. If you want to save yourself in this way, you should take the entire package of the preparation – especially those available without a prescription. Occasional intake of them may cause the so-called rebound effect, i.e. to cause increased gastric acid secretion. And that doesn’t serve the entire digestive tract.

The effects of neglecting gastric ulcers

It sometimes happens that you have to pay dearly for the neglect of treatment of gastric or duodenal ulcers. Complications can be very painful.

Gastrointestinal haemorrhage. There is then acute vomiting, referred to as coffee grounds. They resemble weak coffee in color. Fresh blood is rarely seen. The stool is very dark, the so-called tarry. Such symptoms are accompanied by severe weakness, loss of balance, fainting and severe sweating. Hospital treatment is then necessary.

Puncture of the ulcer also called rupture or perforation. It occurs when the stomach wall is broken, accompanied by leakage of gastric contents into the abdominal cavity. It can be “limited” or “open” (more common in duodenal ulcers). In the latter case, peritonitis usually occurs. The patient suddenly feels a sharp, very severe pain (so-called dagger) in the lower right part of the abdomen, often radiating to the arms and spreading quickly throughout the abdomen. Every movement and every breath can make it worse. The abdomen is then hard, and after putting your ear to it, you do not listen to the normal “overflow”. Body temperature is also rising rapidly. In such cases, you need to call an ambulance as soon as possible. It is a life-threatening condition. A surgeon’s intervention is necessary.

Scar changes after ulcer healing. They are less serious, but often cause profuse vomiting at the end of the day or six hours after a meal, gas, loss of appetite, and a feeling of satiety after eating. A surgeon may need help if symptoms persist for a week after taking medication.

Cancer. We have already mentioned that untreated ulcers can turn into neoplastic lesions. Therefore, at each gastroscopy, a sample is taken for histopathological examination. Approx. 60 percent gastric cancer is directly related to Helicobacter pylori. When the cancer develops, some or all of the stomach must be removed. After such an operation, you can live a normal life, but it is necessary to follow a few rules. First of all, the patient is obliged to follow the diet. You also have to spare yourself, that is, no more drinking, smoking, irregular eating and excessive effort.

Supporting the digestive system and prophylactically against ulcers, try FOR SOOTHES – a dietary supplement Herbapol in Krakow.

Survival school

In the first century AD, the Roman medical writer Aurellus Celsus warned: “If the stomach has an ulcer, light and sticky food must be used … Everything that is spicy and acidic must be avoided.” For 70 years of our century, the treatment of ulcers has been dominated by the so-called the diet of Sippy, an American physician who advised his patients to alternate between sweet cream and milk. The treatment lasted six weeks. Today, doctors do not reject milk, although their choice is left to patients – if you tolerate it well, drink it healthily.

Two plates

Most ulcers are said to live from spring to fall and from fall to spring. During these seasons, their complaints worsen. To avoid the troublesome symptoms of peptic ulcer disease, you must learn to eat. Not because the diet heals, but because the diseased digestive tract cannot cope with the heavy, traditional cuisine. Eating what healthy people prefer, you will feel discomfort, stomach pains, and the treatment time will be significantly longer.

Stomach ulcers – a period of acute ailments

During stomach ulcers, drink plenty of warm, but not hot, drinks. We recommend weak tea, especially leafy green tea, herbs, boiled water, Gastrolit irrigation fluid (available at a pharmacy without a prescription), as well as medicinal waters, eg Henryk, Franciszek. Remember to drink between meals or before meals. Never right after eating.

Eat 6-10 times a day. Meals should be light and not too plentiful. Overeating overloads the digestive tract unnecessarily. All dishes should be well cooked and soft so that they do not irritate the gastric mucosa, do not force it to produce more gastric juice and facilitate the absorption of nutrients. We recommend potato or potato and vegetable purée, cooked and ground veal, fruit jellies, jellies, soups rubbed on weak vegetable stocks with a small amount of fine groats. The food should be delicate in taste, because spicy spices increase the secretion of gastric juices. In the event of an ulcer, you should not eat raw vegetables and fruits. Stewed and mashed fruits are best for ulcers (the apple peel should be discarded).

Wheat rolls are the best. It is not recommended to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes. Alcohol causes irritation of the mucosa, and nicotine negatively affects the blood supply to the stomach and duodenum. Use vitamin and mineral drugs in the amount recommended by your doctor (but never effervescent). By following a strict diet, we do not provide the body with an adequate portion of nutrients.

Stomach ulcers – the period of pain relief

Still, try to eat small portions, but often – preferably every 2-3 hours. Be very careful with raw fruit and vegetables. Start with a small portion of apples, for example, and if you do not feel well after it, boil or bake them for a few more weeks.

However, always choose ripe fruit, not bruised or spoiled. You can start eating cold cuts, but only of good quality. However, it is best to eat delicate lean meat baked in foil with bread. If you want fish, prepare it in jelly. Try to continue to use little spices. Season the food with herbs (basil, tarragon, lemon balm, dill, parsley). For dessert, you can eat stale yeast dough (never fresh, because the yeast it contains often causes flatulence). A little sugar, real honey, homemade jam or jam won’t hurt you either. You can eat dairy without restrictions – preferably in the form of cottage cheese, buttermilk, yogurt or kefir.

Stomach ulcers – dishes not recommended

Among the dishes and products that are not recommended for people suffering from gastric and duodenal ulcers are: lard, lard, diced margarine and sour cream, cruciferous vegetables, radishes, legumes (except for degassed beans), vinegar, mustard, rye bread and wholemeal pancakes, pancakes, dumplings and casseroles, soups on fatty broths of bones, fish and mushrooms, seasoned with roux, patties, thick groats, fried, marinated or deep-fried meat and fish, ready-made sauces, yellow cheese, fried and baked, horseradish, minced meats and all kinds of sausages, pickles, vegetable and fruit marinades, creams, fatty cakes (e.g. puff pastry), cakes, alcohol, strong coffee and tea, all carbonated drinks, fruit juices undiluted with water, hard marmalade, chocolate stuffed and candies.

Herbs for stomach ulcers

Treatment of ulcers should be left to the doctor. However, in agreement with him, supplemental herbal treatments can be used. In the case of cramp pain, the use of very warm mud and linseed compresses is effective. Pain attacks are prevented by fresh potato juice. It is recommended to drink one glass of this juice before each meal. The potato, like the nightshade, datura and henbane, is classified as a nightshade plant and, like them, it contains atropine substances that have a relaxing effect. The biologically active substance is found only in the raw potato, it dies during cooking. The licorice root also has the relaxing effect and soothes the symptoms of ulcers. It is best to use herbs bought in herbal stores and pharmacies to prepare the infusion. There are also preparations containing licorice in the form of syrups, pastilles and candies. Licorice should not be used by people suffering from hypertension and pregnant women. It can cause water to accumulate in the body, which increases your blood pressure.

Drinking fresh white cabbage juice speeds up the healing of gastric and duodenal ulcers. One liter of juice a day should be drunk for 3-6 weeks. There are also lozenges with the same effect in pharmacies. Cabbage contains gepharnate, which is an ingredient of many anti-ulcer drugs.

Green tea also works in a similar way. The polyphenols contained in it inhibit the development of the disease. Tea is also said to be antibacterial and neutralize the effects of pepsin, which then stops the secretion of gastric juices.

Chamomile is an excellent drink for stomach and duodenal health. However, it is not enough to drink tea from one herbal tea bag. For the treatment to be effective, you need to brew 2-3 bags in a glass of water and drink it when the infusion cools down.

Also try intestinal tea, which contains herbs that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system.

Change your lifestyle

If you have gastric or duodenal ulcers, you need to slow down. Relaxation, relaxation and low-intensity exercise promote recovery and alleviate the symptoms of the disease, especially in spring and autumn. If you can afford it at this time, at least once a year, go on vacation. It is best to go to a sanatorium where gastrointestinal diseases are treated. Such help can be found in health resorts in Duszniki Zdrój, Inowrocław, Iwonicz Zdrój, Kołobrzeg, Krynica, Kudowa Zdrój, Polanica Zdrój, Rabka, Szczawnica and Wysowa.

Also learn the relaxation technique. It could be yoga. Try to exercise every day after returning from work, especially when you have a so-called hard day behind you. This will relieve tension and you will fall asleep relaxed. Also remember to rest. Without you, the world will exist anyway, and the course of events will not be changed by the fact that you will not go on vacation.

Eat at fixed times, chewing each bite thoroughly. Do not reach for alcohol, especially beer, which contains barley malt significantly accelerating the secretion of gastric juices. Beer helps digestion, but only for people without gastric problems. So if you feel like drinking alcohol, opt for a glass of vodka or cognac.

Take care of your teeth. If you have significant missing teeth, insert a prosthesis, because badly chewed food, in large pieces, has to be digested for a long time. If not shredded well, it will cause constipation. Also take care of mouth hygiene. Helicobacter pylori accumulates in tartar. Use mouthwash and a tongue scraper.

Prophylactically for ulcers, you can use Organic golden milk powder, which you can buy at Medonet Market.

12 tips for preventing stomach ulcers from developing

1. If you often suffer from indigestion, heartburn or other gastrointestinal problems, do not heal yourself. Go to the doctor, ask for tests that will tell you what is wrong with you. The causes can range from simple overeating, acid reflux disease (the return (regurgitation) of stomach contents into the esophagus), to ulcers.

2. Avoid constipation (every second woman and every fourth man have them). Most foods take 12 to 24 hours to digest. It takes the same amount for the digestive tract to get rid of toxic waste. If this does not happen, the rotting debris sticks to the intestinal walls and can damage them. If you don’t have a bowel movement at least every other day, drink plenty of still water and use bowel support measures.

3. Eat regularly. Eat less, but more often, and most importantly, don’t leave the house without breakfast. A cup of coffee is not breakfast. Avoid very hot food and drinks. The stomach doesn’t like them. Limit the consumption of fat, mainly animal fat, replace it with olive or vegetable oils. Eat fresh butter instead of any other “spreads” in your bread. Instead of ready-made spices, use herbs in the kitchen, they increase the taste of dishes and prevent problems with the digestive tract (rosehip, dill, ginger, lobelia, licorice, marjoram, lemon balm, mint, linseed, chamomile, thyme, comfrey).

4. Reduce very much, and even better give up cigarettes. Try to avoid beer, especially the light beer, because the malt contained in it increases the secretion of gastric juices. Also, do not abuse other alcohol, because it irritates the mucosa in any form.

5. Every six months, do a one-day fast (you need to drink plenty of water then) to cleanse your body a little and give your intestines a rest.

6. Take care of your teeth, untreated they are a habitat of dangerous bacteria. Regularly remove tartar from your teeth, use toothpastes to prevent tartar and plaque from building up on your teeth. Complete the missing teeth, because poorly fragmented food stays in the stomach longer and damages its walls by rotting. Large pieces of food can also injure the mucosa, provoking erosions.

7. Remember about vacation. Relaxation is needed not only by your psyche, but also by your body. The digestive tract is quite delicate and also needs rest.

8. Remember to relax each day. Learn to defuse your emotions. Don’t suppress anger, anger and regret. Talk about your problems with loved ones and friends.

9. Do not abuse anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs because they promote ulcers (especially acetylsalicylic acid).

10. Take care that the clothes do not press against the abdomen. Ladies should remember about well-fitting underwear, pantyhose and skirt belts, gentlemen should not tighten the trouser belt too tightly.

11. Keeps the weight at the right level. Obesity is neither healthy nor aesthetic.

12. Remember to exercise, even less intense exercise improves intestinal peristalsis, promotes better digestion and regular bowel movements. Try to exercise outdoors or with the window open.