Ulcers are sores in the lining of the digestive tract. Types of ulcers are identified where they occur. Doudenal ulcers are ulcers in the duodenum. Ulcers in the stomach are known as gastric ulcers and ulcers in the esophagus are called esophageal ulcers.
What Causes Stomach Ulcers
There are various causes for stomach ulcers to occur but all are linked to food and proper hygiene. Before, most doctors believed that ulcers are mainly caused by stress and by eating too much acidic foods. But that all changed after a laboratory experiment discovered that a bacteria called H. pylori causes the infection in the digestive tract forming sores. Acidic foods and gastric juices can only aggravate the sores by burning the digestive tract walls.
Ulcers in the stomach are also caused by some anti-inflammatory medicines. These medications are what doctors usually give to patients with arthritis. These can be corrosive to the stomach lining, so if taken for a prolonged period of time, can increase the risk for ulcers. Naproxen, ibuprofen and aspirin are some of the known anti-inflammatory medicines that may trigger stomach ulcers.
How to Treat Ulcers
As mentioned earlier, stomach ulcers are mainly caused by an infection. So the primary recommendation that your doctor will give you will be to treat the sores by killing the bacteria first. This medication will last for 2 to 3 weeks or until there's no more trace of the bacteria in your stool. However, this treatment may not always be effective for people suffering from other diseases like diabetes and arthritis.
So to avoid any complication, why not treat stomach ulcers naturally?
The Bad Foods
Obviously, you wouldn't want to experience its symptoms. You don't want to feel the pain and see blood in your stool. Hence, you must avoid acidic foods that may trigger these symptoms. Alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods and high intake of sodium (or salt) can all contribute to this ailment. The first three increase the production of acids in the stomach while sodium can irritate its walls.
Sodium is not only contained in salt but most medicines and vitamin supplements contain sodium at a level unnecessary for our bodies. If you are taking some other medications, you must drink lots of fluids, especially pure water to help eliminate excessive sodium fast.
The Good Foods for Stomach Ulcers
Adding oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and halibut in your diet is very effective in treating ulcers naturally. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in high levels in oily fish, and studies show that Omega-3 increases the production of prostaglandins, a compound known to protect the walls of the digestive tract.
Antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables also help lower the risk of developing ulcers by protecting the lining of the stomach. They also help relieve symptoms when ulcers are already present. Dieticians recommend bananas, kiwi, apricots, raw cabbage juice, carrots and bell peppers.
Other good foods for stomach ulcers are almonds, whole grains, wheatgerm, cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. These foods are good sources of amino acids, the building block of proteins which are proven to help repair damaged portions of the stomach lining.