The stomach produces a strong acid to help digest food and protect against microbes. To protect the tissues of the body from this acid, it also secretes a thick layer of mucus. If the mucus layer is worn away and stops functioning effectively, the acid can damage the stomach tissue, causing an ulcer.
A peptic ulcer is a sore in the lining of your stomach or your duodenum, the first part of your small intestine. A burning stomach pain is the most common symptom. The pain
Starts between meals or during the night
Briefly stops if you eat or take antacids
Lasts for minutes to hours
Comes and goes for several days or weeks
Peptic ulcers happen when the acids that help you digest food damage the walls of the stomach or duodenum. The most common cause is infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori). Another cause is the long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Stress and spicy foods do not cause ulcers, but can make them worse.
Less common causes of stomach ulcers include:
Excess stomach acidity, or hyperacidity: This can occur for a range of reasons, including genetics, smoking,stress, and some foods.
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: This is a rare disease that causes an excess of stomach acid to be produced.
Lifestyle Recommendations
• To ease GI irritation, avoid smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and the use of aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) unless absolutely necessary. • Reduce excess work or business stress and relationship stress; if necessary, work with counselors or trusted friends to encourage better stress management.
Dietary Tips and Caveats
• Avoid common allergic producing foods such as wheat, dairy, corn and soy; identify and eliminate food intolerances. • Experiment with diet to find what foods may trigger symptoms: high fat foods, spicy foods, mint, chocolate, coffee, black tea and acidic drinks can all be contributing factors. • Avoid long term use of alcohol and stop smoking. • Do not rush meals. Thoroughly chew food and take time to enjoy each bite. • Make sure that the diet is abundant in fiber-rich vegetables and fruits (preferably organic). • Limit acid-producing beverages, such as coffee, sodas, orange juice and high sugar fruit juices.
Chiropractic Care and Ulcers
The digestive system is linked to the nervous system, which has control over your digestive function. Spine problems have often been linked with internal organ problems. When the nerves around the thoracic or lumbar regions of the spine are interrupted, digestive issues may arise. Subluxations are minor to severe spinal misalignments that can impact the nervous system’s ability to control digestion. When the spine is aligned improperly, the nerves around the thoracic and lumbar spine can be strained, making it more difficult to send out proper signals to the digestive organs. Chiropractic adjustments treat the hidden misalignment in the spine that was interfering with nerve messages to the stomach. Once the misalignment was corrected, the patient’s bodies were in a better position to heal the ulcers naturally.