Ulcers – preventing acidic substances from attacking

Ulcers

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> ------**Preventing Acidic Attacks**

You know many people who suffer from ulcers.

Your brother, the surgeon, your friend who's anxious about the stock market crash, the guy in the market lobby.

Indeed, you are not surprised by this.

They were all people obsessed with their work, working themselves to the bone like madmen.

Now they are paying the price for the agonizing, feverish holes in their bodies.

You believe you are innocent and therefore ulcers won't bother a mature man like you, right?

A few years ago, medical institutions might have agreed with this view, but recent research suggests that the combined factors influencing ulcers are far more complex than thought a few years ago.

A person's Type A personality may play a role, but the ulcer is more likely caused by a different reason: bacteria.

Other factors such as alcohol and certain drugs may also be involved.

However, there are still many things you can do to reduce your chances of getting ulcers.

Even more remarkably, new treatments can not only alleviate your pain, but in many cases, cure the disease.

Pain that anyone might experience

Ulcers are simply the pain caused by strong stomach acid burning through the protective lining of the digestive organs.

Most ulcers occur in the duodenum, which is the part of the small intestine closest to the stomach.

The rest are called stomach ulcers, which form inside the stomach.

Most ulcers are not life-threatening, but the excruciating, burning pain in the digestive tract that they cause is unimaginable.

In more severe cases, they can also cause internal bleeding, with the blood flowing so much that it can turn the toilet almost black.

Approximately 500,000 people suffer from ulcers each year.

In addition, approximately 4 million ulcers will reappear in people who were previously diagnosed.

In the past, men were more prone to ulcers than women, but this gap appears to be narrowing.

In fact, almost every adult under the age of 45 has had ulcers, with slightly more women than men.

What is devouring you?

For a long time, researchers have claimed that stress is a major trigger for peptic ulcers.

Smoking, genetics, and even blood type O are also considered to be causes.

However, recent findings suggest that "stress and other ulcer triggers may worsen existing ulcer conditions, but they play a small or negligible role in causing ulcers," said Dr. David Albos, professor of medicine and head of the gastroenterology department at Washington College Medical School in St. Louis.

More precisely, a bacterium called "HELICOBACTER PYLORI" located between the lining (epithelium) of the digestive tract and the mucus layer covering it is likely the main cause of ulcer formation.

Studies have shown that 75%–80% of ulcer patients and 90%–100% of duodenal ulcer patients are infected with "H. pylori".

This type of bacteria is difficult to avoid.

Studies in Western countries have shown that 40% to 60% of adults aged 60 are infected with H. pylori.

In the United States, Hispanic Americans and Americans of African descent are infected at a much higher rate than white Americans.

However, for reasons that are currently unknown, only 10% of people with this bacteria in their bodies actually develop ulcers, Dr. Albos said.

It is hypothesized that "H. PYLORI" established the basis for ulcer formation, while other factors such as stress and other causes mentioned above may have ultimately led to the appearance of ulcers.

Besides bacterial invasion, another major cause of ulcer formation is the continuous use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Store-bought medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, or prescription drugs, such as indomethacin, weaken the body's production of the prostate and other chemicals that help prevent damage to the stomach and intestines, Dr. Albos said.

Regular use of these medications may increase the risk of developing ulcers by 10 times.

**Latest Information**

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> • Commonality: It is estimated that on average, one in ten men will develop an ulcer in their lifetime.

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Risk factors: infection with "HELICOBACTOR PYLORI" and use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

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> • Affected age group: Most prevalent among adult men over 60 years of age.

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Gender factors: Women under 45 years of age are slightly more likely to develop ulcers than men.

The number of men is greater between the ages of 45 and 64.

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·Target audience: internists and gastroenterologists.

> **Correct** **Payment**

Ulcers can be controlled with medication at any time, but the better approach is to prevent ulcers from forming in the first place.

The following describes such a method.

**Smoking cessation** Studies have shown that smoking reduces the secretion and release of chemicals that protect the gastrointestinal lining.

Smokers get ulcers more often, take longer to heal, and suffer more from recurring pain than non-smokers.

Don't drink excessively. Excessive drinking is linked to an increased risk of ulcers, but moderate alcohol consumption won't cause any problems, says John Kurata, MD, associate assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of research and health policy at San Bernardino County Medical Center.

He added, however, that some experts believe there could be problems if you continue to drink alcohol while taking aspirin.

So be careful not to mix the two.

**Pay attention to the medications you take.** Aspirin, ibuprofen, and similar painkillers are all collectively known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are difficult to absorb in the digestive tract.

Experts say you should take antipyretics, as this reduces the chances of getting sick.

Reduce your dosage: If you do need aspirin or a similar medication to control pain, start with the lowest possible dosage, says Dr. Mark Feldman, associate director of the Department of Internal Medicine at Texas College Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

For chronic conditions like arthritis, if you are taking one or more medications regularly, it's best to take them as prescribed by your doctor, says Dr. Feldman.

In some cases, doctors may recommend medication substitutes that make you feel slightly better.

When pain occurs

Although ulcers are preventable, experts predict that one in ten men will develop an ulcer at least once in their lifetime.

So if the ulcer has already appeared, here are the doctor's recommendations:

**Taking antacids** Those over-the-counter medications offer a quick and inexpensive way to control ulcer symptoms, Dr. Albos says.

There are more than ten types of antacids to choose from, but most of them contain aluminum, calcium, magnesium, sodium, or a combination of these ingredients.

All medications are effective, but may cause minor side effects.

You must try several medications until you find the one that works best for you.

**Turn off the acid valve** When antacids are not working, your doctor may recommend taking prescription medications to reduce the amount of stomach acid.

The most commonly used are H₂-receptor antagonists, or H₂ antagonists for short.

Drugs similar to ranitidine or methomyl amide, taken 1 to 4 times a day, can reduce gastric acid secretion by 80% and cure most duodenal ulcers within 4 to 8 weeks.

Other medications that can help reduce stomach acid include FAMOTIDINE, NIZATIDINE, and PMEPRAZOLE.

SUCRALFATE enhances the body's natural acid resistance by forming a protective film on ulcers.

However, while all these medications can help heal ulcers, they do not eliminate the underlying cause of the disease.

Dr. Albos said the result is often that the ulcer recurs.

**Finding the source of the disease** Once you start experiencing pain, your doctor may want to check if you have contracted H. pylori.

If so, the next step will likely be to give you antibiotics.

Dr. Kurata said that research shows that 90% of bacteria can be eradicated through a "triple therapy" of two antibiotics plus a bismuth basic salicylate.

In one study, less than 5% of ulcers recurred after triple therapy.

In contrast, more than 50% of ulcer patients treated with H₂ antagonists experienced a relapse after 12 weeks.

The best experts now agree that when a man has an ulcer and is also infected with H. pylori, antibiotic treatment is his best option.

Not all men need this treatment, Dr. Albos added.

Even if tests show you have a bacterial infection, but if you only have ulcers without symptoms, or if those symptoms are described differently, then you don't need treatment at all, he said.

**Try to relieve your tension** Tension may not be the cause of your ulcers, but it can worsen existing ulcers, says Dr. Kurata.

Reducing your stress levels through exercise, yoga, medication, biofeedback, or simply reducing your workload can help suppress the development of ulcers.

**Additional Medications** If medications you are taking, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, are making your stomach upset, your doctor may recommend that you take them with other medications, such as MISOPROSTOL, which helps protect the tissues of your digestive tract.

A study of 420 arthritis patients found that more than 12% of those taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) developed ulcers.

The proportion of patients who take anti-inflammatory drugs and Misoprostol who develop ulcers is no more than 5%.

**Further Advice** Once you are diagnosed with an ulcer, have regular checkups to see if it is healing or not getting worse.

"This is very important," Dr. Kurata said.

In addition, research on the best ulcer treatments is ongoing, so you must keep up with the latest developments.