13.6 % of the world's population is living with Gastric ulcer ; Yes, it's that common!
You might have experienced a burning sensation in the middle of the abdomen, between Belly button and Chest - that's Gastric Ulcer. It often goes unnoticed and hence, untreated, but the outcome of it can make the patient's life miserable.....!
In this article, we are going to discuss everything about Stomach Ulcers -
- What is Stomach Ulcer?
- Symptoms
- Causes
- Prevention
- Diagnosis
- Diet
- Home remedies
- Treatment
- What can happen if the Stomach ulcer is left untreated?
Let's start learning about it..
What is Stomach Ulcer?
- Ulcerated Gastric mucosa as a result of thinning of the protective mucus layer.
In simple words...
- The thick layer of mucus that protects the mucosal lining of the stomach will be reduced due to some factors that will result in Gastric wall ulceration.
- As we know that the acid and other digestive juices in the stomach are too concentrated, we need a protective layer to save the mucosa of the stomach from the damage that the acid might cause.
- For that purpose,normally, there is a thick layer of mucus between the gastric content and the mucosa lining the stomach.
- Decrease in its size will result in the Acid and Digestive juices coming in contact with Stomach lining, which will erode the gastric mucosa and result in its ulceration.
Gastric ulcer along with esophageal and duodenal ulcer is called peptic ulcer disease.
Symptoms:
The Most common symptom of the Gastric ulcer is the type of pain that we just learned about in the start of the article , when our stomach is empty.
Other symptoms are -
- Weight loss
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bloating
- Anemia - Gastric ulcer that bleeds is the most common cause of the Chronic Anemia - Could become life threatening, if left untreated .
- heartburn
- Intolerance to fatty food
- Burping
- Black stool
- Bloody vomit
- Pain that subsides after eating.
According to the National institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases , Symptoms will vary from person to person depending upon the severity of the ulcer.
- 78% of people having Gastric ulcer do not show any symptoms.
Causes:
Mainly 2 things can result in thinning of the mucus layer around Gastric mucosa. They are -
1). H. Pylori Infection : A Bacteria called Helicobacter Pylori will irritate the lining of the stomach resulting in thinning of it. This is the cause of 80% of the Gastric ulceration.
2).NonSteroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) - Inhibition of an enzyme called COX - 1 in the Digestive tract results in decreased secretion of Prostaglandin that is crucial for Cytoprotection. These drugs are mainly Aspirin, Ibuprofen or Naproxen.
If this sounds complicated to you, let it be.
Simply, a specific type of painkiller medicine called NSAIDs can cause the Gastric mucosa to ulcerate if consumed recklessly...
- Rarely , Zollinger - Ellison Syndrome that increases the production of acid in the Stomach, causes Gastric Ulcer. (Only in 1% of cases)
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of the gastric ulcer depends on the general medical condition and the current medications of the patient.
- When one goes to the Doctor, the Doctor asks him about the symptoms he is having and the drugs he is taking. Also, if the Doctor suspects, he needs to undergo few diagnostic tests to rule out H.Pylori infection -
Breath test - If the patient is infected with H.pylori, he will have a higher level of carbon dioxide in his breath that will be analyzed in the laboratory.
Blood test - If the patient is infected with H.pylori, he will have antibodies against that bacteria in the blood. But, the blood test does not give information about current or previous infection.
Stool test - It checks the presence of H. pylori related antigens in the stool of the patient.
Other diagnostic tests are -
Endoscopy - A fiber optic camera is inserted in the digestive tract for visualizing the walls of the stomach and small intestine.
Endoscopic Biopsy - Biopsy (Section of the tissue) of Stomach is taken through the endoscope and observed under the microscope.
Barium Swallow - The patient is required to drink the liquid that contains barium, which will coat the upper digestive tract. After that the x ray is taken that will help the Doctor visualize the proper lining of the digestive tract.
Diet:
- If the patient is found to have Gastric ulcers, he needs to avoid Alcohol and Caffeine as both these things aggravate acid production in the Stomach.
Other dietary measures that are helpful for relief in Gastric ulcer symptoms are -
- Probiotics
- Apples
- Green leafy vegetables
Sour and spicy food should be avoided.
To protect us from the H.pylori infection, it is a good idea to focus on boosting immunity in general.
Home remedies:
Most of the Gastric ulcer cases could be dealt with by home remedies only.
- Remember, in the past , we used to have a stomach ache and our grandmother told us to have water, avoid lying down and drink the ginger water..! and the best part is, we were getting cured..!
Most of the cases are like that only. They do not need Doctor's consultation or hospital admission.
Other ingredients might help are -
- Honey
- Glutamate (Cabbage, Chicken, fish )
- Probiotics
When to consult doctor:
Despite of home remedies, if the person experience symptoms listed below, he should immediately contact a Doctor -
- Pain in stomach that doesn't go away
- Bloody vomit or black stool
- Persistent weakness
- Troublesome breathing
Treatment:
Treatment of the Gastric ulcer is quite straightforward - Remove the cause of it.
If the person is taking NSAIDs, change this medicine and prescribe acetaminophen or decrease the dosage of existing medicine.
If the person is infected with H. Pylori, prescribe Antibiotics and decrease the acid production of the stomach.
To decrease the acid production, helpful drugs are -
- PPIs - Proton Pump Inhibitors
- H2 blockers
- Bismuth Supplements
Even if the ulcer does not heal after these remedies, the last treatment option would be dealing with it surgically . This might include -
- Excision of an ulcer
- Tying the artery that's bleeding
- Cutting the nerve supply of Stomach to stop the acid production
- Grafting the part of the small intestine on the ulcer
What if the ulcer remains untreated?
If the patient do not get his gastric ulcer treated, it can result in -
- Continuous bleeding
- Penetration of the Gastric mucosa in another organ - pancreas
- Perforation of the gastric mucosa
- Obstruction of the digestive tract due to scaring or swelling of inflamed mucosa
- Gastric cancer
Conclusion:
- Gastric ulcers are the sores in the lining of the stomach; mostly due to NSAIDs or H. Pylori infection. It causes stomach pain, vomiting and heartburn.
- Most of the gastric ulcers are mild and get cured without any treatment. But, in the long term, if it continues to bleed, it can cause chronic anemia.
- To cure it, decreasing the amount of acid in the stomach along with limiting usage of NSAID and antibiotics against H.Pylori is the standard treatment.
That's it about Gastric Ulcer...
After reading this detailed guide , if you have a question or want to know more, feel free to leave a comment below...........