What is an Ulcer ?
It is a sore that develops on the lining of the oesophagus,stomach or small intestine.
Ulcer is an open sore on an external or internal surface of the body, caused by a break in the skin or mucous membrane which fails to heal. Ulcers range from small, painful sores in the mouth to bedsores and serious lesions of the stomach or intestine.
There are about 100 thousand of reported cases of ulcer every year in Nigeria and over 500,000 all over the world.
What are the Symptoms?
The most common symptom of peptic ulcers is abdominal pain,
Stomach ulcer pain usually in the upper middle part of the abdomen,above the belly button (navel) and below the breastbone, it can feel like burning or gnawing,and it may go through to the back.
Ulcer may also be caused by overuse of pain killers such as asprin(Bayer),
and other nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen(Advibl),Motrin,and naproxen(naprosyn)
To be sure one have an ulcer, medical diagnosis is required ,medium terms can be resolved within months.
What Causes Ulcer?
Skipping meals and going for a long time without eating can cause the gastric juices to irritate the stomach lining, in addition when we are very hungry we tend to eat too much food! Which can cause the digestive system to become increasingly sensitive
Ulcers may be caused by the Helicobacter pylori(H.pylon) bacteria, however it is not everyone with H. Pylon that will develop an ulcer.
Ulcer pains are treatable medically, there are natural ways one can treat an ulcer and rid of the pains.
Treatments consists of antacids, Treatments usually includes medications to decrease stomach acid production ,if it is caused by bacteria, antibiotics maybe required.
Pains from an ulcer keeps a lot of people uncomfortable, both young and old,however one can manage ulcer pains and kick it out through some natural means
Remedies
Cabbage Juice. Cabbage is a popular natural ulcer remedy. Doctors reportedly used it decades before antibiotics were available to help heal stomach ulcers. It's rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant shown to help prevent and treat H. pylori infections
Aloe Vera, a concentrated aloe vera drink was used to successfully treat 12 patients with stomach ulcers , In another study, taking antibiotics with 1.4 mg/pound (3 mg/kg) of aloe vera daily for six weeks was as effective as the conventional treatment at healing ulcers and reducing H. pylori levels
Turmeric
Researchers have discovered that turmeric polysaccharides can alleviate gastric ulcers by protecting the mucus lining of stomach and inhibiting the growth of an ulcer-causing bacterium1. ... Cellular oxidative stress and Helicobacter pylori infection reduce mucin production and boost acid secretion in the stomach
Honey, Honey is a powerful antibacterial and has been shown to inhibit H. pylori growth. As long as you have normal blood sugar levels, you can enjoy honey as you would any sweetener, with the bonus of perhaps soothing your ulcers.
Garlic
In a recent study, eating two cloves of raw garlic per day for three days helped significantly reduce bacterial activity in the stomach lining of patients suffering from H. Pylori infection
Tips on healing your ulcer
Don't smoke.
Avoid anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol (or have them only in small amounts and on a full stomach).
Avoid spicy foods if they cause heartburn.
Eat well cooked food regularly ,avoid confectioneries.
The milk therapy and the truth.
It might help for a few minutes but milk also stimulates your stomach to produce hydrochloric acid and that can make the ulcers hurt worse. ... You don't have to avoid milk (a serving or two a day is fine), but drinking more milk won't help the ulcer heal.
(This post got some information from -university of Ibadan medical school )
Post compiled by me for omaleeblog
