Let's Talk Ulcers

       It amazing to think the human body works hard every second of the day to make sure you stay healthy, but can kill you like that if you ignore it.

       A good example of is stomach acid or Gastric acid.

       Gastric acid main function is to break down the food that enters the stomach, but the acid can only rest in the stomach because how strong the acid is.

       The acid can cause “auto-digestion,” a digestion of the stomach walls. The stomach has a mucus-like lining on the inside that can protect from Gastric acid, but not all the time.

        Peptic ulcers are sores that is produced where the mucus-like lining starts to be eaten away by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori. It also effects the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine.

What could cause an ulcer:

·         Helicobacter pylori (bacteria)

·         The use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medicines (NSAIDS), the common pain reliever such as aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen.

·         A larger amount of acid produced by a condition called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome or Gastrinoma. It is a tumor of acid-producing cells in the stomach.

To know if you have ulcers, there will be a burning sensation in your abdomen that could happen between meals and at night. The burning feeling could be off and on for days or weeks that could last minutes or hours. Also, you can experience bloating, heartburn and nausea.

I’m noticing that most of these disorders and conditions have very similar symptoms. If you are experiencing anything concerning this topic, then I would get checked out.

Peptic ulcers can be cured by themselves and it’s very common, but it’s good to see if you need medical care.

You’ll still need to do something in your lifestyle if you do have ulcers though, like stop smoking and drinking. If you think it was caused by NSAIDS, then stop taking the pain relievers. Doctors says you should take antibiotics or take Pepto-Bismol, whatever you feel is the right move.

I found that one cure that is the most common doesn’t work and could be making the ulcers worse, which is drinking milk. According to Cleveland Clinic, “Milk provides brief relief of ulcer pain because it coats the stomach lining. But milk also causes your stomach to produce more acid and digestive juices, which can make ulcers worse.”

Borden milk in the Student Center at Troy University