Understanding Stomach Ulcers: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Stomach ulcer is a digestive disease that can come about from a bacterial infection, where the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed and contains sores. The disease occurs sometime later on in life typically during the 60s and affects the women more than the males. It can be passed on to another person when coming in direct contact with someone who has become infected. An example would be of someone who has gone to the bathroom without washing their hands because the bacteria can normally be found in the feces.

Another example would be that there's a lack in the proper sanitation in food and water. Most places like Latin America or countries where there is a lack of clean water and sewage systems are more likely to get this infection. It will be mainly found in people who come from a lower group such as Hispanics and African Americans.

The finding of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori was discovered by Robin Warren and Barry Marshall.

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The cause of stomach ulcers before the 1980s was said to be due to the stress and spicy food people consumed. In fact, their discovery was the first to explain the real cause of ulcers. Their experiment led them to discover that the real cause of ulcers was due to a specific bacterium that was capable of living in the stomach. Many couldn't understand the logic of an organism being able to live in such a harsh environment especially one that was so acidic. In order to prove to the world that they were right they had to show them by testing it out themselves.

Marshall drunk some of the bacterium, a few days later developed gastritis and recovers a few days after that.

The suffix "Helico" is a description of the shape of the bacterium. It is a spiral gram-negative that is able to transform into an cocci when it becomes introduced into a stressful environment. It is considered to be a microaerophile, this means that it requires oxygen in order to survive but that the amount of oxygen concentration that is needed must be lower than air. It can range from 2.5-3.5 um long and its diameter ranges from 0.5-0.10 um. This bacterium is motile and contains four to six flagella on one side. The flagella allow for it to snuggle itself into the lining of the mucus of the stomach. Then it is able to reach to the place of the epithelial cells. This environment is considered to be less acidic. The outer membrane is made of phospholipids and lipopolysaccharides. The bacterium keeps the acid neutral when it produces very large amounts of Urease, this enzyme is able to convert urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia. Ammonia is very harmful to the epithelial cells.

Half of the population aren't aware that they have stomach ulcers because it is asymptomatic. The symptoms can include things such as this burning sensation in our stomach, especially before you eat. You may also feel indigestion. You may get bloated and can experience nausea and vomiting. This person can also feel discomfort or even fatigue. The pain that they may experience can last between minutes and hours. The very most common symptom that a person may experience an ulcer in their stomach is the feeling of pain that comes from the upper abdomen.

There are several risk factors that can play a part in stomach ulcers developing or worsening. The first risk factor that can contribute someone from developing ulcers is if there is a family-history of stomach ulcers. If your mom or dad has a history of ulcers it is likely that you can get them too. The second risk factor is drinking and/or smoking can cause a person's ulcer to worsen. This is because the lining of the stomach will become irritated. Being over the age of 60 is another factor that can contribute to developing ulcers. Many people believed that the main cause for ulcers was due to stress and spicy foods, but these are factors that could just potentially make it worse. Stomach ulcers are rare in children, although the bacterium can be present in their childhood, it doesn't start to affect them until they're much older.

Another cause for stomach ulcers is the overuse of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.) These include drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen. Taking any of these drugs once won't do anything, but can cause ulcers if they are frequently used in high dosages. An example of this would be of a person who experiences chronic pain from arthritis and are taking high dosages of any of these medications. This is because the stomach lining can become irritated and it becomes vulnerable from protecting itself from the acid.

Several exams are performed to let a person who experiences any of these symptoms know if in fact they have stomach ulcers. The first thing that the doctor will do is question you whether there is a possibility of stomach ulcers in your family history. They will then procede by doing a physical exam this includes checking your abdomen to see if there is any bloating and for any tenderness in your abdomen area. They will do some lab test which involves checking your blood. This will enable the doctor to know whether your blood sample is inside the normal range and helps to detect whether or not you have any kind of infection and disorders. The following test involves urea breath test. In this procedure the doctor will ask you to breath into a bag and your breath sample is then sent to the lab. This allows for the doctor to know whether the patient has the infection Helicobacter pylori in their system based on the amount of carbon dioxide that is found. When the test comes back positive it indicates that the person is infected with Helicobacter pylori. They may also make you do a stool test. You will be asked to put a sample of your stool in the container to be sent to a lab to be tested. This allows the doctor to know whether Helicobacter pylori is present in the stool. In the next test a gastroenterologist will perform the Upper Gastrointestinal endoscopy. In this procedure a tube that contains a camera is put through the esophagus into the inside of the lining of your GI tract. They use a monitor that helps them see what's going on the inside. They can give you a sedative but this is so they can keep you feeling calm during the procedure or they might just give you a liquid medicine that is supposed to numb your esophagus. Another test that is used is the upper GI series. During this exam you are given barium, by drinking this it will allow the doctor to be able to see the parts of your esophagus, small intestine and stomach more visible. After drinking this white chalky-liquid you will be taking a Fluoroscopy, a special kind of x-ray that allows the doctor to be able to see the organs in motion.

The treatment that is available for Stomach ulcers is depended upon the cause. A person who is diagnosed with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, will be given antibiotics that will help them to fight the infection. You will be prescribed with proton pump inhibitors to help reduce the amount of stomach acid that is being produced. You may also be prescribed ranitidine (Zantac) or famotidine (Pepcid), these are acid blockers that will also help with the amount of stomach acid that is being produced. You will also be prescribed with sucralfate, this helps to be able to coat the stomach and can help to reduce the symptoms of stomach ulcers. Treatment can also involve antibiotics that deal with Penicillin such as Amoxicillin. This helps to stop the growth or kills the specific bacteria.

Complications can occur if the stomach ulcers are left untreated. One serious complication that can occur is the perforation of the ulcer. This occurs when the ulcer was left untreated for a long period of time, burned right through the wall of the stomach and the juice of the stomach leaks right into the abdomen. A common symptom that is present when the ulcer perforates is when you start to feel a very severe sharp pain in the abdomen that gets worse with any kind of movement. For this kind of complication you are immediately taken into surgery. Another complication that can occur from an untreated ulcer is bleeding. Due to the amount of blood that can be lost, it is important that this person is immediately taken into surgery. A symptom that can show of a possible bleeding ulcer is when there is blood in the stool. If this bleeding ulcer is not treated immediately you may possibly experience death to the amount of blood loss.

In order for one to prevent themselves from getting stomach ulcers they must not do anything that they know will irritate their stomachs. This means avoiding any kinds of food that can irritate their stomach, especially not eating it in excessive. According to medicalnewstoday.com one should include fruits and vegetables, fiber, probiotics, Vitamin C, Zinc and Selenium in their diets. If you are a smoker you are more likely to develop ulcers so in order to prevent from developing any you must stop smoking. If you drink you must keep it at a minimum. If you plan on taking any kinds of medication including aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, you must take it after eating. In order to prevent from developing any ulcers one must not take any medications on an empty stomach. Another tip that is recommended is not taking any medication with alcohol. Maintaining good hygiene is also important to prevent from developing ulcers. This would mean that one must wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating. It is possible that the bacterium could be on ones fece so in order to avoid from possibly spreading it, washing your hands after is very important. Finally, avoid sharing any eating utensils and drinks. It is possible that it can spread to another person through direct contact.