Ulcer

 Back in the days of my secondary school, when we usually go for meals at the dining hall, especially meals with stew like rice with stew, eba and ewedu with stew, spaghetti with stew and that likes. I normally notice our dining master calling the attention of the ulcer patients to move to a particular stand for either food or stew. There was a special stew for them and I usually wonder what was special about the stew due to the number of students that will quickly rush to that stand 😂 and I was like what is ulcer. It occured that a friend of mine was an ulcer patient unknowingly to me then, it happened that whenever we got back to the dormitory form the dining, she normally takes garri with milk or cornflakes and I was wondering why it was so. One day I decided to ask her, babes what's up with you , didn't you eat at the dining that you're drinking garri again 😂 when my babe wouldn't answer, she simply said I'm an ulcer patient and I exclaimed ohhh!

Funny, I didn't stop there o being the inquisitive type, I furthered more asking her what that is (ulcer). She explained to an extent telling me she usually feels pain in her stomach, she also told me the special stew or food they usually serve them at the dining was cooked to be less spicy than ours.

Talking about ulcer, what is ulcer?
Peptic Ulcers are open sores that develop on the inside lining of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine. The most common symptom of peptic ulcers is stomach pain. Today we'll be discussing about *"The Stomach Ulcers"*

Stomach ulcers, which is also known as gastric ulcers, are painful sores in the stomach lining. Stomach ulcers are a type of Peptic Ulcer. Stomach ulcers occurs when the thick layer of mucus that protects your stomach from digestive acids to eat away at the tissues that line the stomach causing ulcer. It may be easily cured, but they can become severe without proper treatment.

What Causes Stomach Ulcers?
Stomach ulcers are almost always caused by one of the following;

• Stomach ulcers may develop as a result of acute starvation or skipping of meals. You need to know that when you skip meals your stomach doesn't go on a break. The reason is this, your stomach produces digestive juices that break down the food you eat, even when there is no food to digest, it continues to do it's job at the usual time you eat. Prolonged periods without foods tend to lead to acid reflux, gastritis and stomach acids. Excessive amounts of digestive juices might erode your intestinal lining and cause ulcers.

• Long term use of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, aspirin and the likes may cause stomach ulcers.

• An infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can cause stomach ulcers.

Symptoms of stomach ulcers
A number of symptoms are associated with stomach ulcers. The severity of the symptoms depend on the severity of the ulcer. The most common symptom is a burning sensation or pain in the middle of your abdomen and belly button. Typically, the pain will be more intense when your stomach is empty, and it can last for a few minutes to several hours.

Other common signs and symptoms of ulcer include
• Weight loss
• Anemia whose symptoms include tiredness, paler skin, shortness of breath.
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dull pain in the stomach
• Heartburn, a burning sensation in the chest
• Feeling easily full
Ensure you see your doctor if you have any symptoms of a stomach ulcer. As ulcers can worsen if not treated, bleeding ulcers can become life-threatening. Diagnosis and treatment will depend on the symptoms and the severity of the ulcer. Most ulcers can be treated with a prescription from your doctor, but in rare cases, surgery may be required.

*Prevention*
• To prevent ulcers, eating a healthy diet can benefit the intestinal tract and overall health. In other words, it's a good idea to eat a diet with lot of fruits, vegetables and fiber.
• To also prevent the spread of the bacteria that might cause stomach ulcer, ensure to wash your hands with soap and water on a regular basis.

While an ulcer is healing it is a good to stay away from spicy and sour foods.

Thanks for reading!

Article by:
Iyiola Grace Omowumi
Food, Nutrients and Health.

*Reference;*
https://www.mayoclinic.org/…/p…/symptoms-causes/syc-20354223
https://www.healthline.com/health/stomach-ulcer