Stomach Ulcer: Causes, What to Do, Prevention, Foods!
Let’s talk about Stomach Ulcers:
Doc, I was having serious pains after I fell while I was running. Then I went to this chemist who gave me ibuprofen, and since then, anytime I eat especially hot peppery foods, my chest will be like it is on fire!!
Doc, what can I do?
What is a Stomach Ulcer?
A stomach ulcer: is simply a wound inside your stomach.
In the same way pepper and salt pain you when you put it on a wound on your skin/body, that’s the way you’d feel the pain when it touches the ulcer in your stomach.
What can cause me a stomach Ulcer?
2 main things can cause stomach ulcers.
- Infection by a bacteria that is called H. Pylori.
- Drugs: abusing drugs like Ibuprofen, diclofenac, aspirin, piroxicam, etc is the main reason many people develop stomach ulcers.
How do I know if I have a stomach ulcer?
If you notice any heartburn or any burning sensation in your chest or stomach area, that is worse especially after you eat, you should suspect a stomach ulcer.
What to do if you have a Stomach Ulcer?
If you suspect you have an ulcer, you need to see a doctor because, on some occasions, it can cause one to develop gastric cancer.
Hence your doctor has to do a test called an endoscopy to take a sample & test to be sure that it is not cancerous.
In treating ulcers of the Stomach, you can use Omeprazole + Amoxicillin + Metronidazole for 7 days.
Talk to us using the comment box or contact form for any questions.
How do I prevent Stomach Ulcers?
- Eat properly cooked food to prevent infection by H. Pylori
- Avoid drug abuse of those listed drug above. Excessively talking of drugs of any kind, even paracetamol can lead to Liver disease and that’s not a good thing.
- Avoid Cigarette smoking
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
- Diet: No need to avoid any type of diet if you do not have an ulcer, but if you have developed an ulcer, some diets are good and some can worsen your ulcer.
Good foods for stomach ulcer
- Yoghurt, Apples, Avocado Pear, Oatmeal
- Sweet potatoes, Spinach, Carrots, Broccoli, Strawberries.
- Fish, egg, liver, Chicken, turkey, goat meat, and other lean meats.
- Unripe plantain, Wheat
- Vegetables like cucumber, garden eggs, okra, green pepper, cranberries, and cabbage.
- Pap, ‘Moi Moi’s instead of beans
- Yam,
- Coconut, coconut milk, and coconut water. Banana or banana milkshakes.
- Honey.
Foods to Avoid for Stomach Ulcer
- Salty or Spicy foods like pepper soup, suya, indomie, etc.
- Milk: causes increased acid production.
- carbonated drinks like Soft drinks (Coke, Fanta, 7up, Pepsi) and others
- Beans: have been known to worsen ulcer pains & cause heartburn as a result of acid reflux.
- Coffee worsens ulcer pain.
- Tomatoes: known to contain acid that can worsen the pain.
- Roasted corn: Cooked corn is preferable.
- Citrus fruits like oranges, lemon, lime, etc make ulcer pain worse.
Others are Alcohol, Tobacco/cigarettes, Refined sugar, and Red meat.
