Gastric Ulcer| Ulcerative Gastritis

What is a gastric ulcer?

The presence of an ulcer or an open sore in the stomach is called a Gastric ulcer. It is caused due to
disturbance in the normal protective mucosal barrier by acid-pepsin, resulting
in the mucosa’s digestion. It may be acute or chronic.

What are the causative factors?

Multiple factors may initiate the irritation, decay of the mucosal wall of the stomach. Therefore, it is multi-factorial in most people.

The two significant factors are frequently observed:

  1. H. pylori gastritis
  2. Painkillers, i.e., NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs)– induced gastric ulcers.
  3. Malignant conditions also present as typical ulcers.

Other factors may also cause gastric ulcers:

  1. The imbalance between the digestive power of acid-pepsin and the ability of the gastric mucosa to resist
  2. Local irritants- Heavily spiced foods, Alcohol of various forms
  3. Dietary factors – Nutritional deficiencies, Irregular food intake.
  4. Psychological factors – Stress, Anxiety can also play a significant role.
  5. As mentioned earlier, this can be a symptom of a specific type of Cancers too.

How to confirm it's an Gastric Ulcer?

A detailed medical history and a couple of tests are required to diagnose an ulcer and its cause. The doctor can only determine the presence of an ulcer by looking directly at the stomach mucosa through an endoscope. 

So don’t forget to tell if you take medicines without a prescription, especially the pain-killer drugs, i.e. nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen etc.

Certain specific tests are required to confirm the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection: 

  • Blood test
  • Urea breath test: After taking urea containing liquid, your breath sample has to be checked for higher carbon dioxide levels than expected. If it’s high, you have H. pylori.
  • Stool test. Stool tests can show the presence of the H. pylori antigen. In addition, a stool polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test can detect H. Pylori infection.
  • Upper gastrointestinal (G.I.) Endoscopy and biopsy: A gastroenterologist would examine your stomach wall conditions by an endoscope, and small biopsy samples may also be taken if any suspicious lesions are found. 
  • Upper gastrointestinal barium swallow X-Ray: It is a series of X-Rays taken to understand the depth of the disease.
  • Computerized tomography (C.T.) scan: Sometimes advised to evaluate the spread of the disease.

What are the common Symptoms?

  • The most common symptoms are recurrent abdominal pain/burning in the epigastric region (upper part of the abdomen) that occurs immediately or within 2 hours after food.
  • There would be a tendency to vomit and persistent nausea. At times, the vomitus may contain blood (Haematemesis-blood vomiting).
  • Though appetite is good, patients are afraid to eat due to pain in the abdomen.
  • Weight loss is quite common.
  • The symptoms are mostly periodical.
  • The pain is temporarily relieved by taking some food or by vomiting at times. The pain is uncommon during the night.
  • The stool also may become dark at times (Melaena – dark coloured stools).
  • Aversion to spicy and fried food develops.
  • Deep tenderness/ pain may be there in the upper-mid abdomen.
  • There may be a symptom-free interval for 2-6 months and often with seasonal variation.

Note: Many people with Gastric ulcers may not have any symptoms at all!

Complications of Gastric Ulcers

Usually acute and sub-acute ulcers heal by themselves, but the healing of chronic ulcers may lead to complications like-
Obstruction-
Commonly seen in the pyloric part of the stomach. Nausea, vomiting and abdominal distension are the symptoms presented.
Haemorrhage-
bleeding at the ulcer site is present and can be detected by testing the stool for occult blood. Chronic blood loss leads to anaemia. Severe bleeding causes ‘coffee ground’ vomitus or melaena.
Perforation-
Perforation of peptic ulcers is an acute emergency condition. Due to the stomach wall’s perforation, the stomach’s contents escape into the peritoneal cavity leading to acute peritonitis.

How can I prevent getting Gastric Ulcers?

By making a few lifestyle modifications risk of developing gastric ulcers can be reduced. Some of those are minimum alcohol intake, cessation of smoking, minimizing the usage of NSAIDs, reducing stress through regular exercise, and following mind relaxation techniques.

How can Homoeopathic treatment help you?

At Let’s Homoeopathy, we treat the patient as a whole, considering both the patient’s premorbid and morbid condition. Also, the focus will be on the cause of the disease that may be physical or mental. For example, some of the remedies for gastric ulcer are- Nux Vomica, Kali Bichromicum, Argentum Nitricum, Lycopodium Clavatum, Phosphorus, Carbo Veg, Hydrastis Canadensis, Alumina, Bismuth Etc. are frequently used depending on the holistic medical case-history of the patient. In addition, a proper lifestyle modification, with a carefully scheduled diet and medicines, can help get long-term relief from the condition.

However, we advise not to go for a self-prescription, as it may prove harmful. In addition, parents are not encouraged to self-prescribe any of the Homeopathic medications without consulting an appropriately qualified doctor from a recognized university.

So, why wait? Get a consultation with a qualified and experienced Homeopath today from the comfort of your home through Let’s Homeopathy.

We will deliver the medicines to your doorstep too!

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