Gastric ulcers may be evidenced by: lack of appetite, abdominal pain, heartburn, constipation. But you don't have to suffer - there are ways to successfully treat stomach ulcers. Learn the popular opinion about stomach ulcers. Which of them are real?

Nastomach ulcersin Poland every tenth person suffers, most of the sick are young and middle-aged people. Men are sick much more often. Untreated ulcers tend to recur.

  • Bacteria are not the only cause of ulcers

True. The bacteriumHelicobacter pylori , however, is at the top of the list of culprits. You can get it through the digestive tract or during … a kiss. The problem is also caused by hydrochloric acid, which is a component of gastric juices. It is produced by the lining of the stomach and helps to digest proteins, fats and destroy bacteria that enter the stomach with food. When too much hydrochloric acid is present, it can damage the mucosa, leading to the formation of ulcers. We can also inherit a tendency to ulcers - in 50 percent. people, the disease runs in families. People with blood group 0 are also more prone to it (30-40%). Return of bile to the stomach is another cause of the disease. When the digestive system malfunctions, bile from the duodenum returns to the stomach and damages its walls. The cause of ulcers may also be the frequent use of anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-rheumatic drugs, as they damage the gastric mucosa. An ally of ulcers is also prolonged stress, which provokes our body to secrete more hydrochloric acid. Peptic ulcer disease is also caused by alcohol abuse and smoking.

  • Bacterial ulcers can be healed without surgery

True. To destroyHelicobacter pylori , patients are given two appropriately selected antibiotics for a week. At the same time, the so-called proton pump inhibitor - a drug that reduces the secretion of hydrochloric acid to almost zero. For the treatment to be effective, it must be completed. It is a mistake to interrupt it when you feel better. After healedit is recommended to use agents that reduce acid secretion and protect the gastric mucosa. Hydrochloric acid neutralizing preparations can be taken, but should not be abused.

  • All ulcers have the same symptoms of the disease

False. Only half of the patients suffer from typical symptoms: pain in the center of the abdomen, below the breastbone or above the navel. It is like burning, burning, sometimes feeling hungry. It may be accompanied by nausea, belching, heartburn, and sometimes vomiting. Symptoms depend on the location of the ulcer and the patient's age. Pain after eating is characteristic of stomach ulcers.

Important

Gastroscopy - the best study

Only by performing such a test can the state of the gastric mucosa be assessed with the greatest accuracy. During gastroscopy, the doctor introduces a flexible tube ending with a mini-camera through the esophagus, through which he examines the mucosa. He collects fragments of diseased tissue from ulcerated places in order to exclude the existence of neoplastic changes after appropriate analyzes. Because these "by eye" cannot be recognized even by an experienced surgeon. The samples are also tested for the presence ofHelicobacter pylori . In some cases, the examination may be performed under local or general anesthesia.

  • The disease worsens in spring and autumn

True. One of the theories of seasonal intensification of ailments explains that it is during these periods of the year that bacteriaHelicobacter pyloribecome particularly active and willingly reproduce, despite the extremely unfavorable conditions in the stomach and duodenum.

  • Stomach ulcer can lead to serious complications

True. The mere existence of an ulcer is usually harmless, but it can cause serious, sometimes even life-threatening, complications. Each ulcer can damage blood vessels from which blood will leak into the stomach in an unnoticeable way. Over time, this will lead to anemia due to iron deficiency. As the ulcers heal, scars form on the walls of the mucosa. Sometimes they can be large enough to make it difficult or impossible for food to pass through. The most dangerous, however, is a perforation in the stomach wall (professionally known as a perforation) caused by hydrochloric acid digesting successive layers of the stomach wall. When the acidic contents of the stomach pour out into the peritoneal cavity, peritonitis develops, which requires surgical intervention.

  • Ulcers only form in the stomach lining

False. Mucosa defects canalso appear in the duodenum (the first segment of the small intestine, the so-called bulb), and in the lower esophagus, as it is sometimes exposed to gastric acid. Usually, however, ulcers form in the part of the digestive tract where pepsin, the enzyme that digests proteins, is found.

  • A simple test is enough to find the presence of bacteria that cause stomach ulcers

True. There is a special test for this. A ready-made kit (Helico Test, about PLN 35-40) can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription. It is not difficult to make, just follow the instructions. The test can also be performed in any analytical laboratory (costs about PLN 40) after taking a blood sample.

  • Whoever gets the bacterium will have stomach ulcers

False. You can be a carrier of the Helicobacter pylori bacteria and not get sick. It is estimated that as much as 80 percent. Poles are carriers of it, and only a quarter of them are ill. Most of those who suffer are young and middle-aged people, usually working hard. Unfortunately, teenagers and children are among them more and more. One in ten adults suffer from peptic ulcers (stomach and duodenum). Men get sick three times more often than women. How bacteria cause ulcers is still unknown. It is known, however, that almost everyone infected with bacteria has gastritis ( although in various forms). This condition may be asymptomatic.

  • Diet accelerates ulcer healing

False. So far, no evidence has been found that diet promotes healing. But for the duration of the treatment, you should significantly reduce rye bread, wholemeal bread, casseroles, and fried foods. You have to set aside soups with decoctions of fatty meats, fish and mushrooms, with roux. There are also no marinades, minced meats and sausages, ready-made sauces, cheese, lard, lard, diced margarine and sour cream, cruciferous vegetables, radishes, legumes, mustard, horseradish, creams, fatty cakes.

Category:

Gastrology