Stomach ulcers, also named gastric ulcers, are inflammations that develop on the stomach lining. This happens when your stomach acids engrave away your digestive tract’s protective layer of mucus. You can also obtain ulcers in part of the intestine exactly beyond the stomach, called duodenal ulcers. Stomach ulcers are sometimes called peptic ulcers. Peptic ulcer disease is also a type of stomach ulcer. You may have no symptoms or feel burning pain and discomfort. A peptic ulcer can lead to internal bleeding, which sometimes means you shall require blood transfusions in the hospital. Peptic ulcers disease has two types:
- Gastric ulcers: These appear on your stomach lining.
- Duodenal ulcers: This happens at the top end of the small intestine, an organ that absorbs and digests much of the food you eat.
What to eat if you have stomach ulcers?
Since H.pylori bacteria is a vital cause of ulcer formation, scientists are shown what foods may help fight against infection. In addition to taking acid-blocking and antibiotic medications suggested by your doctor for your ulcer treatment, consuming these foods may also be helpful against the ulcer-causing bacteria:
- Fruits
- Legumes
- Vegetables
- Lean meats like skinless poultry and lean beef
- Eggs
- Fish and seafood
- Fermented dairy foods like kefir or yogurt
- Whole soy foods like tofu or tempeh
- Whole and cracked grains
- Healthy fats like avocadoes, olive oil, and nuts
- Green tea
- Herbs and spices (mild; fresh, or dried)
Fruits
Any frozen or fresh fruits contain helpful antioxidants, and fiber Apples, berries, pomegranates, and grapes are the best choice for healing polyphenols. If citrus fruit like grapefruit or orange trigger reflux, avoid them.
Vegetables
Leafy green, orange, and bright red vegetables and cruciferous vegetables like kale, cauliflower, and broccoli are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that are especially best for your overall health and healing. Avoid tomatoes, spicy peppers, or items if they give you reflux. Limit raw vegetables because they are difficult to digest.
Lean proteins
Skinless poultry, lean beef like tenderloin or sirloin, eggs, tempeh, tofu, fish peas, and dry beans are excellent sources of low–fat protein. Fatty fish like mackerels, sardines, and salmon provide omega-3 fats, reducing inflammation and preventing another ulcer.
Fermented foods
Some factors may affect the balance of the microbes in the gut. These include unhealthy diets and certain illnesses or medications. Fermented foods are a high source of microbes, such as yeast, fungi, and bacteria. Eating foods that have these microbes can restore the gut microbiome balance. Some fermented foods are miso, kimchi, tempeh, kefir and sauerkraut.
Bread and grains
Whole or cracked grain and whole-grain bread-like quinoa, millet, farro, sorghum, and oats are excellent fiber sources to add to your diet.
Herbs and spices
You can freely use mild herbs and spices because they are the best source of antioxidants. Best bets include cinnamon, garlic, ginger, and turmeric, which have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Try to use honey instead of sugar for the sweetener.
You might be interested to take a look at “gastritis diet plan menu”
What foods are avoided if you have stomach ulcers?
Some people who have suffered an ulcer also suffer acid reflux. Certain food can relax the beneath part of the esophagus, known as the beneath esophagus sphincter or LES. A relaxed LES makes it simple for acid to back up into the esophagus and cause indigestion, pain, and heartburn.
Foods that may avoid during ulcer stomach:
- Coffee (regular, decaf)
- Alcohol
- Caffeinated foods and drinks
- Fatty meats
- Milk or cream
- Fried or high-fat foods
- Salty foods
- Heavily spiced foods
- Citrus fruits and juices
- Chocolate
- Tomatoes/tomato products
Alcohol
All alcohol is stomach irritation and will delay healing. Avoid beer, spirits, and vine.
Caffeine
You should stop drinking tea, coffee, and caffeinated sodas. They can aggravate stomach acid production.
Milk
There was a time when used milk to heal ulcers, but research has revealed that it aggravates stomach acid. It is perfect to avoid it.
Certain meats
Avoid highly seasoned meat, sausages, lunch meats, and fatty or fried meats and proteins.
High-fat foods
Try to skip large amounts of fats, which can aggravate stomach acid and trigger reflux. You may need to avoid cream soup, salad dressing, and gravy, but healthy fats on the list are ok.
Spicy food
You may want to avoid anything hot such as black pepper, horseradish, sauces and chili peppers, and condiments that contain them.
Salty foods
Researchers have revealed that salty foods may promote the growth of H.pylori. Olives, pickles, and other fermented and brined vegetables are rich in salt and linked to a higher risk of H.pylori ulcers.
Chocolate
Chocolate can aggravate stomach acid production, and some people reveal that it triggers reflux symptoms.
What a stomach ulcer feels like?
Stomach ulcers do not always cause symptoms. Sometimes a serious issue such as bleeding or a sudden, worse upper abdominal pain is the first sign of an ulcer.
A stomach ulcer feels like:
- The pain is often in the upper middle of the abdomen, below the breastbone, and the belly button.
- The ulcer pain can feel like gnawing or burning, and it may go through to the back.
- The pain is often worse in the early morning and at night.
- Pain often comes some hours after a meal when the stomach is empty.
- The ulcer pain may be relieved by antacids, foods, or vomiting.
- It can last from a few minutes to several hours.
Stomach ulcers also experience other symptoms, including:
- Loss of weight
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
Some ulcers may cause bleeding in the duodenum and stomach. Bleeding is occasionally the only symptom of ulcers. This bleeding can be slow or fast. The fast bleeding display itself in one of the following ways:
- Blood in the stools or tarry, black, sticky-looking stools
- Vomiting Of blood or dark material that looks like coffee grounds: this is a warrant and emergency an immediate visit to an emergency development.
Slow bleeding is usually more difficult to detect because it has no symptoms:
- The symptoms of anemia are tiredness(fatigue), weakness, lack of energy(lethargy), pale skin(pallor), and heartbeat(tachycardia).
- The result is low blood cell count.
What causes the ulcer in the stomach?
When you eat something, your stomach produces an enzyme called pepsin and hydrochloric acid to digest the food.
- The food is partly digested in the stomach and then goes to the duodenum to continue the process.
- Peptic ulcers happen when the enzyme and acid overcome the defense mechanisms of the gastrointestinal tract and destroy the mucosal wall.
It was considered that ulcers were caused by lifestyle factors like cigarettes, eating habits, stress, and smoking in the past. It was thought that people with ulcers have an imbalance between pepsin and acid, coupled with the digestive tract’s inability to defend itself from these harsh substances.
The following factors can diminish the protective mucosal barrier of the stomach, aggravate the chances of getting an ulcer, and slow the curing of existing ulcers.
- Alcohol
- Aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include naproxen and ibuprofen, and newer anti-inflammatory medications include celecoxib.
- Stress: physical( burns, severe injuries, and major surgery)
- Cigarette, smoking
- Radiation therapy –is used for diseases like cancer.
- Caffeine
People who take aspirin and many other medications are at increased risk if they do not have H.pylori infection.
- People with prior ulcers or intestinal bleeding are at a higher than normal risk.
- If a person takes the medications routinely, a substitute should be discussed with a health care professional. This is true if the affected has heartburn and an upset stomach after taking these medications.
H.pylori bacteria is spreading through the stools of an infected person.
- The stool pollutes water and food (commonly through poor personal hygiene).
- The bacteria in the stool build their way into the digestive tracts of people who eat this water or food.
- This is called Fecal-oral transmission and is a usual way for infection to spread.
The bacteria stay in the stomach, where they can pass through and damage the lining of the stomach and duodenum.
- Many people who are revealed to the bacteria never develop ulcers.
- People who are recently infected usually rise symptoms within a few weeks.
What other guidelines may be helpful for stomach ulcers?
Special diets are known to have a very small impact on preventing and treating stomach ulcers. Some guidelines can include:
Medication
Medication includes antibiotics to destroy the H.pylori colony and drugs to boost the healing process. Different drugs require to be used in combinations; a few of the side effects can include rashes and diarrhea. Antibiotic resistance is becoming more common.
Changes to existing medication
The doses of arthritis medication, aspirin, and many other anti-inflammatory medications can be changed slightly to decrease their contributing effect on stomach ulcers.
Subsequent breath test
Subsequent breath tests are used to ensure the H.pylori infection has been treated successfully.
Lifestyle modifications
Lifestyle modifications, including quitting cigarettes and smoking, decrease the natural protection in the stomach and impair the healing process.
Reducing acid
Reducing acid tablets are available to decrease the acid content in gastric juices.