Ulcers Are No Laughing Matter
Saturday, September 10, 2011
, Posted by Immel at 3:41 AM
Peptic ulcers,
which are in the stomach and the duodenum (the first part of the intestine leading
from the stomach) can occur at any age and affect both men and women. Untreated, sufferers can look forward to a
long siege with them. But today's peptic
ulcer sufferers have a brighter prospect for relief than did those of even a
single generation ago. There is now less
than 1 chance in 18 that surgery will every be necessary and new medications
act faster and better and offer more relief than ever before.
The warning
sign of active ulcers you will most likely experience (if you get any warning
at all) is a gnawing discomfort in the middle or upper abdomen that typically
comes between meals or in the middle of the night. Food or liquids, including antacids and milk,
can provide some temporary relief, but milk might not be all that good a remedy
since it stimulates production of hydrochloric acid and other digestive juices
which further aggravates the pain.
Antacids
blended from aluminum, calcium or magnesium salts, have long been the non
prescription drugs most people quickly reach for to get relief from their
stomach pains. But, because antacids
interfere with absorption of some medications, be sure to go over this with
your doctor and get his approval.
You should
never ignore any warning signs of ulcers.
Ulcer complications are serious and in some cases can be
life-threatening. If paid from ulcers
persists after more than 10 to 14 days of self-treatment or comes back when
treatment ends, you should see your doctor.
The passing of blood through the bowels may be caused by some other
problem, but it can also be an urgent warning of a bleeding ulcer.
Bleeding
ulcers can cause anemia or, if the ulcer gets larger it may expand into a major
blood vessel, a leak can turn into a hemorrhage, with only minutes available
for life saving emergency treatment.
Ulcers can also perforate and may erode completely through the wall of
the stomach or duodenum. If this happens
and the stom§ach's contents flow into the abdominal cavity, severe infection
can result. A perforated ulcer is an
emergency that requires immediate surgery.
It has been
determined that smoking doubles a person's risk for ulcer disease. Physicians and researches have found that
ulcers heal a lot slower for smokers, and smokers also have a higher relapse
rate.
And you're
definitely at risk for ulcers if you take aspirin and any of the other products
containing aspirin. High-dose Aspirin,
Ibuprofen, Maproxen and Piroxicam are in wide use today for many conditions,
especially to relive pain and swelling among the millions of people who have
arthritis. These medications can
irritate the stom§ach's lining and cause gastrointestinal bleeding.
Ulcers have
frequently been the target for humor in describing the stereotypical
aggressive, pressured, goal-or-career-oriented person. But for those who have them, ulcers are
certainly no laughing matter. Peptic
ulcers strike 1 out of ever 50 Americans each year.
