Stomach Ulcer: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Home Remedies
Stomach ulcers also called peptic ulcers, are holes that form in the lining of the stomach small intestine, or esophagus. They can make you feel very uncomfortable and cause big health problems if you don’t treat them. Knowing the signs reasons ways to treat, and home fixes for stomach ulcers can help you handle and ease this problem. This guide gives you all the info you need to deal with stomach ulcers.
Stomach Ulcers
Stomach ulcers fall under the category of peptic ulcer disease. Doctors classify them into two types: gastric ulcers, which show up in the stomach, and duodenal ulcers, which appear in the upper part of the small intestine. Ulcers form when the mucosal lining wears away. This happens because of too much acid or a breakdown in the mucosal barrier. Visit the best gastroenterologist in Chennai to get tailored and customized care suited to your health condition.
Symptoms of Stomach Ulcers
People with stomach ulcers may experience a range of symptoms that can be mild or severe:
- Abdominal Pain: Many people feel a burning or gnawing pain in their stomach area. This discomfort often strikes between meals or during the night.
- Nausea and Vomiting: You might feel sick to your stomach and throw up. Sometimes, the vomit can have blood in it or look like coffee grounds.
- Loss of Appetite: You may not feel like eating much, or you could lose weight. This can happen because eating makes you uncomfortable or hurts.
- Bloating and Belching: Too much gas or feeling full can go along with stomach ulcers.
- Dark Stools: If your poop is black and sticky, it might mean you’re bleeding inside your gut.
If you have bad symptoms, like really bad stomach pain, you can’t stop throwing up, or you see signs of bleeding, you need to get medical help right away.
Causes of Stomach Ulcers
Various things can lead to stomach ulcers:
- Helicobacter pylori Infection: This bacterium damages the stomach’s protective lining making it easier for acid to harm the stomach.
- Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Using NSAIDs like ibuprofen or aspirin a lot can hurt the stomach lining and create ulcers.
- Too Much Alcohol: Alcohol can wear away the stomach lining and make the stomach produce more acid.
- Smoking: Tobacco makes it harder for existing ulcers to heal and may create new ulcers.
- Stress: Stress can make symptoms of ulcer worse and has an impact on how severe the condition becomes.
Treatment Options for Stomach Ulcers
As the best gastro hospital in Chennai, we have various treatment options available.
1. Medications
- Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs): PPIs, like omeprazole or esomeprazole, lower the amount of stomach acid and help the ulcer heal.
- H2-Receptor Antagonists: These drugs, including ranitidine or famotidine, reduce the acid the stomach makes.
- Antibiotics: When H. pylori infection shows up, doctors might give you antibiotics like amoxicillin or clarithromycin
2. Lifestyle Changes
- Avoid Irritants: Cut down or stop using NSAIDs, and drink less alcohol and smoke less tobacco.
- Healthy Eating Habits: Eat small meals more often and stay away from foods that can hurt your stomach, like spicy or acidic foods.
- Stress Management: Use ways to lower stress such as mindfulness, meditation, or exercise to help control your stress levels.
3. Medical Procedures
- In some rare cases, if medicine doesn’t heal an ulcer or if problems come up, you might need procedures like endoscopy. Endoscopy lets a gut doctor look at the ulcer and maybe do treatments to stop bleeding or take out abnormal tissue.
Home Remedies for Stomach Ulcers
Along with medical treatments, some home remedies can help ease ulcer symptoms and speed up healing:
- Probiotics
Probiotics, which you can find in yogurt and fermented foods, can help balance the gut microbiome and might help to heal H. pylori infections.
- Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera juice soothes the stomach and can help to cut down on swelling and discomfort that comes with ulcers.
- Honey has natural germ-fighting powers and can help calm your stomach. Eating a bit of honey each day might ease ulcer symptoms.
- Cabbage Juice
People think cabbage juice can heal because it’s packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Drinking fresh cabbage juice might help reduce ulcer symptoms.
- Licorice Root
Licorice root might shield your stomach lining and cut down on swelling. But you should be careful with it and talk to a doctor first because it can cause side effects.
Seeking Professional Care
To get customized treatment and top notch care, schedule an appointment with SRM Global Hospitals for the best advice and treatment options.
