What are Ulcers?
Ulcers are crater-like sores, which are open as well as very painful, formed on the digestive tract of the human body. Sores’ size varies from ¼ inch to ¾ inch in diameter and they are generally formed in the duodenum and esophagus part of the stomach. Ulcers formed in the duodenum are known as peptic or duodenum ulcers, whereas, ulcers in the esophagus are known as esophageal ulcers.
It is a very commonly found medical problem in the US, as almost every person there is facing one type of ulcer.
Ulcers happen due to some imbalance factors between the aggressive and defensive factors working against the proper functioning of stomach. In stomach, the food we eat get crushes down and then mix with the already present digestive juices like hydrochloric acid and pepsin. Sometimes the damage happens to the lining of duodenum allow extra flow of pepsin in the stomach. This causes ulcer in the stomach.
If not treated properly on time, the ulcers can become bleeding or perforated ulcers. Further, in severe condition the ulcers can restrict the intestinal opening which can obstruct the flow of digested food from the stomach to the small intestine.
Symptoms of Ulcers
Occurrence of symptoms depends on the cases it is harming. Their might be many symptoms a person is having or no symptoms.
But, usually one common symptom faced by almost every patient is a burning pain in the abdomen. The pain generally occurs between the breastbone and the navel in the body and can sustain for many hours depending on the treatment the patient is taking. Timing of occurrence is usually after a meal or in the middle of night, when the stomach become empty.
Apart from this symptom, there are several symptoms. Such as:
Feeling nausea: Because of uneasiness in digesting food, the patient might feel nausea.
Vomiting: Nauseated behavior influences vomit feeling in the body.
Low appetite: Because of certain digestive problem, the patient might have low appetite.
Weight loss: Low appetite causes loss of weight.
Burping or hiccupping: As the digestive system is not working very properly, the patient has frequent burping or hiccupping.
Blood in stool and vomit: In case the patient is having bleeding ulcers or in the severe stage he might see some blood in his vomit or in bowel movement. Blood indicates the severity of the disease, and, hence it is required to consult the doctor as soon as possible.
Weakness and tiredness: Due to loss of blood from the body, the patient feels tiredness and weakness while doing some work.
Types of Ulcers
Types of ulcers found till date are given below:
Peptic ulcers: The ulcers are seen in the upper part of the small intestine or duodenum.
Foot and leg ulcers: Ulcers found in the leg are caused due arterial ulcers. These are also referred to as venous ulcers.
Skin ulcers: Found on the skin of the patient, these ulcers are also known as pressure and decubitus ulcers.
Causes of Ulcers
Previously, it was considered that ulcers occur due to high intake of spicy foods, fats and other unsaturated meal.
After this, it was discovered that ulcers cause due to bacterial infection spread by a bacterium, named Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Almost every second patient of ulcer in the lot of 10 patients is found to be infected by this bacterium globally.
Looking at the functioning criteria of the stomach, it is found that the stomach creates mucus coating to defend itself from digestive juices, like hydrochloric acid and pepsin, produced inside the body. The stomach coating and lining help in cell renewal and repair.
The H. pylori bacterium has the capacity to twist and tear the mucous lining produced by the stomach. During the functioning of the stomach an enzyme, called Urease, is produced. The enzyme has the capability to thrive this bacterium and thus, it helps the bacterium in producing more stomach acids causing damages to the stomach wall. The bacterium weakens the mucous coating in the stomach, helps in the flow of acid through out this lining, and results in the form of irritation causing sores in the stomach.
Other than this, ulcer is caused due to intake of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and piroxicam. The chemical compounds present in these drugs obstruct stomach in producing mucous and bicarbonate that helps it in defending against digestive juices produced inside the stomach.
Physical and emotional stress: More and more physical and emotional stress do not causes ulcers in the body, but, certainly increase the severity level of the medical complication.
High intake of caffeine and nicotine causes ulcers in the body
Smoking is another cause of ulcers. It not only causes ulcers but also lowers the process of healing in the body.
High intake of alcohol causes alcoholic cirrhosis that further increases the risk of ulcers. Again, high consumption of alcohol slows down the healing process of ulcers.
Diagnosis of Ulcers
Before going for some specific tests described for detecting ulcers, the doctor may ask some questions regarding the patient history, allergic nature, family history or lifestyle.
After that, he might recommend to go for stool tests, depending on the type of ulcers the patient having.
On the basis of the result obtained, the doctor might perform endoscopy, x–ray examinations and test for H.pylori.
Endoscopy presents direct view of the upper digestive tract through the insertion of a fiber-optic endoscope inside the body. The tube illuminates the path that food takes and represents the view of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. This helps the doctor in examining the ulcerated area within the stomach.
X-rays examinations are performed by making patient swallow some chalky liquid, containing barium. The chalky liquid helps in making ulcers more visible on the x-rays. The examinations occurred are known as upper gastrointestinal (GI) series of examinations and are done on the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum in the body.
Gastroscopy is done to determine whether the ulcers occurring in the body is cancerous or not.
H. pylori bacterium’s presence is detected by doing some tests including blood, breath and tissue tests. Tissues removed after endoscopy tests are taken to detect the presence of H. pylori in the human body. Further, stool tests can be taken to determine the presence of the bacterium.
Treatment of Ulcers
Ulcers can be treated by giving some dosage of medicines, therapies and surgeries. To treat gastric and duodenal ulcers, the doctors generally recommend some medicines, including antibiotics, H2-blockers, proton-pump inhibitors, and mucosal protective agents.
Antibiotics: Once the patient is detected by H. pylori peptic ulcers, then certain dosage of antibiotics in the form of antibacterial therapy is given to treat the ulcers. Therapy is necessary to obstruct the recurrence of ulcers in the body. Antibacterial therapy is given in two forms: triple therapy and dual therapy.
Triple therapy consists of three medicines including Metronidazole, Tetracycline, and Pepto-Bismol.
Dual therapy is an amalgam of Amoxicillin and Prilosec.
H2-blockers include cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine and nizatidine that help in controlling the acid produced in the stomach.
Proton-pump inhibitors like omeprazole reduce the acid production in the stomach by obstructing the acid pump in the stomach. Obstructing the flow of acid in the pump finally controls the secretion of acid in the stomach.
Mucosal protective agent like sucralfate helps in preventing mucous lining from getting harmed by the acid production within the stomach.
Sometime in severe cases, surgeries like vagotomy, antrectomy, and pyloroplasty are performed depending on the condition of the patient.
Other than these medications, doctors recommend to do some changes in the lifestyle. Like the patient should try to reduce his emotional and physical stress. Try not to take high amount of caffeine in routine. And the patient should control his drinking and smoking habit to have healthy life.
Prevention from Ulcers
Ulcers are preventable, but, there are certain rules which you need to follow to help yourself. First of all, maintain a good lifestyle, away from all these bad habits like smoking and drinking. Smoking and drinking do not cause ulcers, but, definitely enhance the chances of their recurrence and slows down the healing process.
Next, try to prevent yourself from this bacterium of H. pylori. It is infectious in nature and generally spread through saliva, while kissing the infected person, by drinking same water drunk by the infected person or by eating same food.
Hence, try to maintain safe distance from the infectious person. Wash your hands every time before you take meal and try to maintain hygienic environment around yourself.
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