Stomach Ulcers:
What you need to know!
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What is a stomach ulcer?
A stomach ulcer is a hole in the inner
lining of the stomach or sometimes in
the upper part of the small intestine,
or duodenum.
An ulcer in the stomach is a gastric
ulcer, and an ulcer in the upper part of
the intestine is a duodenal ulcer.
(doo-ODD-in-ul)
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What are the symptoms?
Symptoms include;
 A burning pain between the
stomach and chest which can
last from a few minutes to
hours.
 Symptoms usually go away
after taking an antacid.
 Loss of appetite or weight loss.
 Bloating or nausea after eating.
 Vomiting.
 Vomiting blood or what looks
like coffee grounds.
 Black, tarry stool or blood in
stool.
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Do I have a stomach ulcer?
Only a doctor can tell you for sure if
you have an ulcer. You will need to
have a test done called an endoscopy.
Should I have an endoscopy?
Talk to your doctor and tell her/him
your symptoms. If you need to have
this test your doctor will refer you to a
gastroenterologist, who specializes in
stomach disorders.
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What causes ulcers?
An infection of the Helicobacter
pylori, (H. pylori) is the most
common cause of stomach ulcers.
The excessive use of non steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) is
a contributing factor.
H. Pylori and NSAID’s both break
down the lining of the stomach and
small intestine which prevents the
digestive acids from causing damage.
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How will I treat an ulcer?
Your doctor will prescribe medication
for you to take. You will get
medicine for the symptoms and
antibiotics to attack the cause of the
problem. Remember that you should
always take ALL your antibiotics for
the full course, even if you feel better
sooner. The bacteria has a way of
coming back if you do not take the
full course and destroy it completely.
This will cause further damage to
your stomach and a return of the
symptoms.
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H. Pylori – Do I need it?
This is a question under current study.
It is now thought that the H. Pylori
can actually prevent Gastro
esophageal reflux disease. (GERD)
There may actually be a link between
the complicated feedback actions of
the bacteria and the digestive
enzymes. More study is needed and
you should follow up with your
doctor after taking your course of
antibiotics and note any return of
gastric-related symptoms.
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Additional information:
The more we learn, the more we learn
that we don’t know.
It is now thought that there is indeed a
complex ecosystem in the human
body with regard to all the different
bacteria that live in a symbiotic or
parasitic relationship with their
human hosts.
It is far too early to tell but at this
point it would seem to indicate that
the bacteria are able to some extent
direct reactions in the gastric cycle,
and though candid albicans is not
specifically mentioned in any of the
articles listed, it is common
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knowledge that an imbalance of
normal human flora is the cause of the
growth of this fungus which is the
cause of what is known as a yeast
infection.
Again, it is an imbalance in the
normal human flora which allows the
fungus, candida albicans to grow and
multiply beyond normal parameters,
and one of those causes of imbalance
is thought to be antibiotics.
Research at this point, shows limited
success with agents called probiotics,
mainly because the hundreds of
bacteria present in the human body
have adapted and come to a balance
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which is difficult for a newcomer to
interact with. (Blaser, 2005)
To put it another way, trying to
introduce a probiotic into the current
balance of human flora is like trying
to add another letter to the alphabet.
What words would we make with it?
The other letters could not form
words with it, and it would just sit
there in isolation.
If you’ve read this far, good for you.
Keep an eye out for literature with
new information about probiotics and
be careful about your diet and use of
NSAIDS!
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