Peptic Ulcer Disease: Separating the Myths from the Facts

Tampa FL

20 December, 2021

3:07 PM

Description

In healthy stomachs, you'll find a thick layer of mucus protecting the lining from stomach acid. But when this protective coating has been reduced, those digestive juices can seep in, damaging the tissue and causing painful sores or ulcers in the stomach or duodenum. Various things can reduce the stomach's protective lining to the point that it causes painful ulcers and peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Unfortunately, many myths are swirling around about ulcers, and these misconceptions can prevent people from getting proper treatment or even aggravate the condition. We're here to debunk the myths and give you the facts. Myth: Stress and anxiety are primary causes of ulcers. Fact: Stress and anxiety alone do not cause ulcers, but your mental health does play a role in your physical health. When you're stressed or feel anxious, your brain goes into defensive mode and releases hormones into your body. As a result, your heart rate increases, leading your stomach juices to become active, and increased gastric juice activity can increase ulcer pain. Myth: Eating spicy food causes ulcers. The "heat" from spicy food is believed to "burn a hole" in your stomach lining. Fact: There is no proof that consuming spicy food is responsible for ulcer formation. However, if you already have ulcers in your stomach lining, eating spicy food can trigger abdominal pain in some people. Spicy foods can also cause discomfort for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); this has much to do with the food triggers for these conditions. Therefore, if eating spicy foods lead to stomach pain, you should get tested to determine the actual cause of your food sensitivity or intolerance. Myth: An ulcer will feel worse after you eat. Fact: Ulcers trigger pain because of stomach acid. Therefore, eating food helps neutralize the acid, easing the discomfort from ulcers. If you feel worse or suffer from heartburn after eating, you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Myth: If your ulcer pain is tolerable, you don't need to treat it. Fact: Any kind of pain or discomfort, however mild, indicates some underlying condition. And if you ignore it and leave it untreated, the condition may worsen. Ulcers can erode, impacting multiple layers of the stomach. The lesion may even cause bleeding within your digestive tract if left untreated. Myth: There is no treatment for ulcers. Fact: You shouldn't try to treat an ulcer on your own. While there are over-the-counter antacids, they will only help ease the pain for the moment, and you shouldn't rely on them each time you have an ulcer attack. When you get treatment from a physician, the primary goal will be to strengthen your stomach's protective lining. And if a bacterial infection like Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) caused your ulcers, then that condition also needs to be treated. Some treatments for ulcers include antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and histamine receptor blockers.