Causes of Ulcers
By: Carly Dobitz
Innumerable people have heard or said phrases such as, “I’m so stressed that
I think I might be getting an ulcer” or “too much spicy food can give you an ulcer”,
but realistically, an ulcer is not a funny tale. Numerous people think that stomach
pain is from something that they ate or from stress, but if the pain worsens and is
prolonged for days, a check up may be required. An ulcer can be very painful and
may get worse if not taken care of correctly.
Ulcers are most commonly found in the stomach, but can also be found
elsewhere in the body such as the duodenal, mouth, or esophagus. An ulcer can be
defined as a sore on the skin or a mucous membrane, accompanied by the
disintegration of tissue, the formation of pus, etc. (Dictionary.com). According to the
article “Ulcer Myth and Facts” written by Eleanor Roberts, PhD, she states, before
1982, the cause of an ulcer had been studied for several years, but the reason for its
occurrence was unknown. Doctors connected spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, and
server to mild stress to be related to the causes of an ulcer (par 1).
NobelPrize.org shares that in 1982, Robin Warren and Barry Marshall, both
from Australia, discovered a bacterium that has been discovered in the stomach,
esophagus and the duodenal, Helicobacter Pylori. “Helicobacter Hylori is a spiralshaped Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the stomach in about 50% of all
humans” (par 7). H. Pylori can affect babies as well. For the infection can be
transferred to mother to child, if present in the mother, and the child will live with
the infection for the rest of their life (par 8). For their studies and research, both
Warren and Marshall received the Nobel Prize. Both scientists have found some
causes of this bacterium, but other scientists are finding their own causes of this
infectious bacterium.
During an episode of The Doctors, a television show that gives free medical
advise about different medical topics to it’s viewers explains, “ulcers are not
connected to stress or spicy foods in any way, although when one has an ulcer,
stress may make symptoms worse than they already are” Liz Vaccariello, editor and
chief of Prevention Magazine and a guest on the show, tells the audience. “Milk can
only worsen the ulcer, so when an ulcer is present, avoid consuming dairy,
especially milk. Alcohol and smoking can cause the ulcer to worsen and prevent any
healing process” (Roberts par 3).
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and
ibuprofen, are another common cause. Rarely, cancerous or noncancerous tumors in
the stomach, duodenum, or pancreas cause ulcers (H. Pylori and Peptic Ulcers, par 4).
“When taking non-inflammatory medicines to ease the pain, you can cause an ulcer
to occur, but if one is already present, it may only worsen the rupture or make the
healing process much more difficult” says Liz
Doctors all around the world are diagnosing several patients with ulcers. The
discovery of the H. Pylori bacterium was a breakthrough for both patients and
doctors, because now the healing process can be quickly determined. Since 1982,
studies have become more insightful about how this infectious bacterium behaves
and how to treat it.
Crowe, Shelia., Peura, D. H. Pylori and Peptic Ulcers. (2010, April) Retrieved from
http://digestive.niddk.nig.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hpylori/index.aspx#2
“Health Hearsay: Stress and Ulcers. “ The Doctors”: Liz Vaccariello. Hollywood, CA.
13, June 2010. Television. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
<http://wwww.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/11080>.
“Press Release: The 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine”. Nobelprize.org.
Sep 2011. Date retrieved September 29, 2011. Retrieved from
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2005/press.h
tml
Roberts, E. (2009, August 12). Ulcer Myths and Facts. Retrieved from
http:www.everydayhealth.com/ulcer/ulcer-myths.aspx
Watts, G. (2005, October 05). Nobel Prize is Awarded to Doctors Who Discovered H
Pylori. Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/331/795.1.extract
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ulcer