05/01/2024
NOT EATING DO NOT CAUSE ULCERS
This topic is a very sensitive, though i don't tell people that not eating will cause ulcer, but i believed it too with a tinge of doubt whenever I hear someone say it. But then, we learn, unlearn and relearn every day.
Before I start with the myths about ulcer, it will be good we know what ulcer(s) is/are.
Simply put, ulcer is a sore. A sore is like a wound. That is the simplest I can define it. An ulcer is a sore. A sore is a tender wound. “Tender” here means sensitive and painful. So in summary: An ulcer is a sensitive and painful wound.
Ulcers can happen anywhere in the body. Even outside the body or on your skin.
I know the ulcer we know is stomach ulcer, but there are different types of ulcer and stomach ulcer is just one example of a type of ulcer.
I honestly would want to focus on the one we know and are waiting to learn about, i will briefly mention other types of ulcer.
TYPES OF ULCER
• PEPTIC ULCER: This includes stomach ulcer (when the ulcer is inside the stomach) or gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer (when the ulcer is located at the beginning of the small intestine the duodenum) and esophageal ulcer (inside the esophagus).
• MOUTH ULCER: The small sore you sometimes notice at the base of your gum and commonly known as canker sore. Most times, goes off on its own within two weeks.
• VENOUS ULCER: This is the most common type of leg ulcers (mostly happen just below the angle up to the mid-calf) and also referred to as stasis ulcer. This happens when there is damage to the vein maybe due to an injury, causing pressure on the vein and making the vein not to take blood back to your heart. This causes pressure to build up within the vein, eventually resulting in the appearance of a sore on the skin as the blood and fluid leak into the surrounding tissues. Pregnant women and obese people are prone to venous ulcer.
• GE***AL ULCER: This is an ulcer in the ge***al area (p***s, va**na, a**s, surrounding areas). It is often caused by sexually transmitted infections (STI) and can sometimes be caused by trauma or allergic reaction to skin products.
• ARTERIAL ULCER: From the name, you can know where this ulcer is coming from. It can also be called ischemic ulcer. This ulcer happens on the outer surface of the skin especially at the lower extremities (legs: ankle, feet, toes and heels). This happens when there is damage or narrowing of an artery, causing rich nutrient blood not to reach these tissues. The tissues are therefore deprived of oxygen and begin to die, causing an open wound. This happens to diabetic patients.
So now, PEPTIC ULCER (the one you call stomach ulcer. The ulcer you and I want to talk about today).
The term peptic means acid. And i think this is where the confusion comes in. The name was coined from a prior era when all stomach, duodenal and esophageal ulcer were thought to be caused by acid. But we know better now but the name has not been challenged. So we are stuck with it.
Ulcer myths you may have heard and believed are:
1. Not eating cause ulcers
2. Spicy foods cause ulcer (don't eat too much pepper and tatashe)
3. Fast foods cause ulcer
4. Ulcers never go and cannot be treated
But I’m here to tell you that none of these (1-3) cause ulcer. NONE!!!!
Not eating can aggravate your ulcer, spicy foods can make you feel worse, it can worsen the problem, but then, there must have been an ulcer for it to worsen it. Are you getting the point?
Before the spicy food, there was an ulcer.
Before the empty stomach begins to wriggle and bite, there was an ulcer. I will explain this later.
The truth is, ulcer is very common. According to Harvard health, statistics say up to 4million people are diagnosed of peptic ulcer every year in the US. I would have loved to use Nigeria as a reference but no data. It is said that one in every 10 people have developed peptic ulcer at one point in their life.
What do I mean by that? Ulcer comes and goes. Ulcer can be treated. Some heal on their own while some require medications to heal. This brings us to what really is the cause of ulcer.
CAUSE OF ULCER
The chief culprit is the bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H .Pylori). H. pylori are present in the GIT of almost half of the world's population. I mean 50% of the world's population has H. pylori. I equally mean, 1 in every 2 persons have H. pylori. Well most people with H. pylori infection will never have any signs or symptoms. It's not clear why this is, but some people may be born with more resistance to the harmful effects of H. pylori.
HOW DOES THIS BACTERIA CAUSE ULCER
Now, your stomach is covered by thick mucus, protecting the walls of the GIT from digestive juices and acids. But this bacteria, H. pylori bacteria weakens the protective mucous coating of the stomach and duodenum, thus allowing acid to get through to the sensitive lining beneath. Both the acid and the bacteria irritate the lining and cause a sore. The acid should have killed these bacteria. But no! H. pylori is able to survive in stomach acid because it secretes enzymes that neutralize the acid, then makes its way to the safe area which is the protective mucous lining and keeps burrowing through the lining.
Why is this bacteria that common. Do we get it from the air?
No, H. pylori are not an air borne disease. There is no exact way H. pylori are gotten and transmission is still under study. However, researchers have found H. pylori in the saliva of some infected people, so the bacteria may also spread through mouth-to-mouth contact, such as kissing. It is researchers that found this out. Now you can imagine how many persons you have kissed that may have H. pylori. You know it is possible you have it. H. pylori bacteria can also be passed from person to person through direct contact with vomit or f***l matter. H. pylori may also be spread through contaminated food or water. Some people believe people get infected at childhood. Living in crowded places, living with someone who has it, living in a place where there is lack of clean water are all risk factors. Why am I taking so much time on H. pylori?
90% of duodenal ulcer and 80% of stomach ulcer is caused by these bacteria and many people do not know it. They think it is the Atarodo pepper in their pepper soup or the fast their pastor told them to embark on or their weight loss goal.
It is good i mention it here that because you do not even know if you've got H. pylori or not, and do not know if you are developing ulcer already, you may think it is the food you're not eating that caused the ulcer. But, it's not.
Another very important cause of ulcer are Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, Aleve (naproxen), and others. Peptic ulcer is a well-recognized complication of NSAIDs. The way it causes ulcer is a whole lot of medical jargons that I wouldn't want to bother you with. It inhibits something that then leads to the reduction of something that protects the stomach mucosa, thereby increasing stomach mucosal injury and cause ulcer. I can remember when I had a surgical tooth removal and was prescribed ibuprofen and one other NSAID I can't remember now. On the 5th day, I couldn't understand myself and my stomach. I had to call a doctor. The first thing he asked me was if I’m on any medication. I told him and listed the drugs and he instructed me immediately to stop those drugs and rather go for another anti-inflammatory drug. I had a history of peptic ulcer when I was much younger and that further confirms why I was feeling that way as NSAIDs cause ulcer especially to people who had ulcer before.
I will bring the third and fourth causes of ulcer together. Abuse of smoking and alcohol. Alcohol and cigarette smoking have been shown to affect the mucosal barrier and histology of the stomach. The mechanism is so long and I don't want to bore you. What I want you take home is that cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption not only cause ulcer, but prolong ulcer. Why am I saying this, when I advise people to quit smoking and alcohol when they are treating ulcer till it heals, they think I'm saying the unimportant. Drinking alcohol will not help your ulcer heal!
Now, where does not eating come into play?
It is very important that I mention here that also when you are treating your ulcer, you should avoid staying for long without food. When some of your mucus protecting layer of the stomach has been destroyed due to these causes of ulcer mentioned above, gastric acids can reach the stomach tissues and cause problem. So when you don't eat for long, with an already damaged mucosa, the gastric acids that are supposed to work on food will target the stomach tissues and worsen your ulcer. Another problem not eating might cause you is pain when you eventually eat. It's funny right? When you have ulcer and do not eat for long, when you eventually eat, certain foods may further irritate the raw open sore and you'll feel serious pain. Do you now understand where not eating comes in?
So usually, to manage your ulcer and help it heal, it is recommended you eat 5 times a day (just small meals) so you don't leave your stomach empty for acids to work on the already sore wounds. The food will bind the acid in the stomach, until the food is digested. That way, you don't worsen the ulcer. Next, your doctor will recommend some medicine that will suppress acid formation (called antacids- meaning anti acids) and this will also help the ulcer to heal. Then if your ulcer is proven to be caused by H. pylori, triple antibiotics are often also recommended.
If you are on self-prescribed NSAIDs, discontinue use.
Don't get so used to taking NSAIDs for minor things like headache. Go and eat, drink plenty of water and sleep.
I don't need to tell you to stop alcohol consumption and smoking especially when treating ulcers.
Call now to connect with business.
