Hey there, viewers!
How’s your stomach feeling these days?
Are you letting the stress get to you?
How much do you know about stomach ulcers?
Also known as gastric or duodenal ulcers, these are painful sores that develop along
your stomach lining.
Let’s discuss everything you need to know about them…
How do they start?
How are they treated?
What exactly are the symptoms?
How can I avoid ulcers in the first place?
We’re talking all that AND more…
WHAT IS A STOMACH ULCER?
Like I said a second ago, a stomach ulcer is a sore that forms on your stomach lining.
They’re a type of peptic ulcer disease.
Peptic ulcers are any type of ulcer that forms on the stomach lining or small intestine.
Peptic ulcer disease affects nearly 5 million people in the United States alone.
Have you ever been sick to your stomach?
How long did it last?
What was the problem?
Sound off in the comment section and start a conversation with our Bestie community…
SO WHAT CAUSES STOMACH ULCERS?
Well, we all have a thick layer of mucus that protects our stomach from the digestive acids.
When that thick layer has been reduced, the acids will start eating away at the stomach
lining.
As a result, ulcers take form.
But how exactly does your stomach get this way?
I mean, the protective mucus doesn’t just start to reduce randomly, does it?
Not exactly.
Ever heard of H. pylori (pie-lor-eye)?
This is bacteria that lives in your digestive tract.
After a while, they’ll begin to infect their surroundings.
This spells big trouble for your stomach lining and small intestine.
It’s really unclear exactly how H. pylori spreads.
Some believe it’s through human contact, such as kissing.
Others believe it can be spread through food and water.
This is one of two main causes of stomach ulcers.
The other cause is anti-inflammatory drugs, or pain relievers.
These are things like ibuprofen or even aspirin.
If you’re overusing these substances, the chemicals can irritate your stomach.
This will infect the lining and result in some serious ulcers.
There are other minor causes of stomach ulcers.
They include cigarette smoke, and alcohol.
Excessive boozing can really irritate your stomach lining.
It also contributes to a decrease in mucus.
You can also get ulcers through your diet.
If you’re eating too much spicy food, it will no doubt irritate your stomach.
Another cause is untreated stress.
Find a way that’s best for you to wind down, so you don’t put your stomach through so
much trauma.
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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
If you’re experiencing a stomach ulcer, there are several symptoms you need to look
out for.
Some are more noticeable than others.
The main symptoms are as follows:
Stomach Pain
This is perhaps the most obvious one.
A stomach ulcer is going to bring on pain in your midsection.
It’s usually concentrated in the upper middle part of your abdomen, above your belly button.
This pain can go from minor to severe pretty quickly.
It will feel like your stomach is burning.
At times, it may be hard to concentrate.
You may even feel some tension in your back.
Weight Loss
A stomach ulcer can cause you to lose weight.
This is usually due to the discomfort you’re feeling.
Think about it, if your stomach’s in a constant state of pain, are you really going to want
to eat?
Before you know it, you’ll notice a significant difference on the scale.
When you do eat, the pain might be too unbearable.
As a result, your meals will be smaller.
If you’re stressed out or depressed, you’ve probably had a limited appetite long before
forming an ulcer.
Nausea & Vomiting
This one is a little more uncommon.
If your ulcer is causing you to feel sick to your stomach, something is wrong.
You’re supposed to feel discomfort, but not to the point of throwing up.
If an ulcer has been confirmed, and you find yourself getting sick, talk to your doctor
ASAP.
There are probably other issues.
Indigestion & Heartburn
Now this is a symptom that is fairly common.
Stomach ulcers are usually accompanied by indigestion.
At the same time, you’ll probably be experiencing heartburn.
This occurs when your body is going through acid reflux.
It’s normally triggered by your diet.
Have you been eating too many spicy wings?
Well this is going to irritate your stomach.
Not only can it bring on ulcers, it can also be behind your acid reflux.
Now indigestion and acid reflux can often be relieved with certain medicine.
But you need to be careful.
You wouldn’t want to take anything that would upset your stomach further.
The best thing to do would be to lay off the spicy stuff.
Bloating
You probably guessed it already.
If your stomach is getting irritated, it’s going to bloat over the smallest things.
Even tiny meals will have your stomach feeling like it's about to pop.
This is due to the H. pylori bacteria.
Once it spreads through your stomach and intestines, it produces an excess amount of gas.
This gas will cause you to burp.
It may even come out your backside.
So don’t be surprised if people distance themselves from you during this time.
Blood In the Vomit
As you could have guessed, this is another one of the extreme cases.
Vomiting with a stomach ulcer is serious enough.
If you’re noticing blood in your vomit, things are a little more urgent.
With an ulcer, your lining has become inflamed.
If your inflammation damages an artery somewhere, this is how bleeding happens.
The blood could come from the food pipe, the stomach, or the small intestine.
If you’re finding blood in your vomit, get to a doctor ASAP.
Before we continue, are you trying to get your health right?
Well here’s another video you should watch on Warning Signs & Symptoms of Cirrhosis of
the Liver.
Now back to our discussion on Stomach Ulcers.
HOW ARE STOMACH ULCERS TREATED?
I know we scared you with the talk about blood in the vomit.
But remember, that’s pretty rare with stomach ulcers.
You’d be glad to know that stomach ulcers are treated pretty easily.
But if you leave them alone, they can get really serious.
The treatment you’ll undergo depends on the cause of the ulcer.
Most of the time, the doctor will give you meds.
In more severe cases, you’ll need surgery.
If your stomach has been caused by H. pylori, the doctor will prescribe you antibiotics.
They may also give you some probiotics.
These are full of healthy bacteria that will help destroy H. pylori.
These medications will often come with side effects like nausea, diarrhea and more abdominal
pain.
But trust me, it’s a lot better than going through surgery.
If your ulcer doesn’t heal, surgery might be the next logical step.
This is especially true for ulcers that are bleeding or tearing through your stomach.
They might even be blocking food from going into your small intestine.
As you can imagine, this operation will be pretty messy.
Not only will they get rid of the ulcer, they might also take tissue from the intestine
and patch it over the area your ulcer grew.
Sometimes, they even cut off the nerve supply of your stomach to reduce the amount of stomach
acid.
There are also some home remedies for ulcers that you can put together.
How often do you eat honey?
Well if you haven’t had it in a while, now’s a good time to catch up on what you’re missing.
Honey can stop the growth of H. pylori.
There’s also something called glutamine.
Glutamine is an important amino acid that helps your immune system.
It’s found in foods like chicken, fish, spinach and eggs.
Studies have shown that a diet high in glutamine can prevent damage by harmful bacteria.
So there’s another excuse to cook chicken for lunch and dinner.
WHAT CAN I DO TO AVOID ULCERS IN THE FIRST PLACE?
If you don’t want a stomach ulcer, avoid eating spicy foods.
It won’t irritate your stomach as much.
Now your diet overall can’t cause you to get ulcers.
But there are foods you can eat to avoid them, and I’m not just talking things with glutamine.
Things like broccoli, cauliflower, yogurt, berries, olive oil and spinach will fight
off H. pylori.
Now I know a few of these foods aren’t the first things on your grocery list, but they
will protect your stomach and intestinal tract.
The health of your stomach is so important.
But there are more than just ulcers to worry about.
Have I sparked your interest?
Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more videos, shall we?
Check out 8 Foods That Can Really Harm Your Stomach.
Or how about 9 Causes of a Bloated Stomach?
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to keep your stomach healthy.
Have you ever experienced stomach ulcers?
Let us know in the comments below…