Does drinking of milk actually cure ulcer? The answer is no. milk and other protein-rich foods really stimulate gastric-acid production. They irritate wounds like ulcer. Cigarette smoking, taking in alcohol can cause irritability. Food has little to do with either causing or treating ulcers. Ulcers are wounds or breakages in the skin or tissues of the body.

A person who feels pain in the abdomen at more or less number of intervals should suspect the existence of ulcer and should see his doctor at once. The most common site of ulcer is in the stomach. Here the patient complains of a burning sensation or pain in the upper part of the abdomen.

These are other parts of the body that suffer from ulcer. The least serious are mouth ulcers. They usually arise from minor infection. They are known as benign ulcers. People with varicose veins sometimes get ulcers in their legs. This is because the blood in the skin is circulating too slowly. The worse kinds of ulcers are in the rectum. They cause pain, constipation and bleeding.

Duodenal Ulcer

The duodenum is part of the small intestine leading out of the stomach. An ulcer is a gap in the lining of the duodenum so that the sensitive under layers are exposed. Due to imbalance in the digestive juices reaching the duodenum from the stomach, the lining becomes inflamed and later eroded to form an ulcer.

A substance called histamine is important in controlling the acidity of stomach juice and its release is controlled by certain nerves. Nicotine and adrenalin (the ‘stress hormone’) affect histamine release. Several drugs are now available which block histamine release and allow ulcers to heal.

The progress of ulcers can be checked by barium X-rays and a flexible telescope (or endoscope) for direct viewing into the stomach.

Typical symptoms are pain which remains fairly localized a little above the naval. It comes on an hour or so after meals; it may last for the best part of an hour, sometimes with a feeling of sickness and occasionally vomiting. Flatulence (wind) is common. Ulcers require medical treatment, for if they continue there is a danger of internal bleeding or of the ulcer spreading through the wall and causing a perforation. Bed rest is still useful in severe cases. A special diet is not required but it is sensible to avoid any foods which cause symptoms. A patient will find items to be avoided by trial and error. The important point is regular, frequent meals. Alkali tablets may help. The mainstay of treatment however is the newer type ‘healing tablet’ combined with giving up smoking and avoiding stress.

If the ulcer will not heal, and pain is severe, an operation may be needed such as a vagotomy which cuts the nerves to the stomach. Normally this presents no difficulties in skilled hands.

If ulcers last longer than a month, it may be because they are cancerous. These are known as malignant ulcers. They can be dangerous if not discovered at once.

Gastric Ulcer

It is similar condition arising in the stomach. The pain following meals comes on earlier than in duodenal ulcer – usually in about half an hour, but apart from this the symptoms differ little, and the treatment is similar. Operation is more often advisable for this type of ulcer as there is a risk of malignancy (cancer).

Related posts

• What Causes Peptic Ulcers? (0)
• What You Should Know About Celiac Disease (1)
• What You Need To Know About Lupus (0)
• What You Need to Know About Epilepsy (1)
• What Should You Know About Lupus? (1)