A stomach ulcer happens when a hole occurs in the stomach’s lining due to an excess of acid. Stomach acid is meant to break down and digest foods, and when there’s too much, it can be harmful to the delicate lining of the stomach. Stomach ulcers can be very painful, and severe ulcers can result in vomiting, blood in the stool, and sometimes death.

If you have one, you may be wondering how to treat a stomach ulcer. There are a number of effective methods that can help relieve your pain.

Some doctors might recommend prescription drugs and surgery if the ulcer is severe. However, this isn’t always necessary. Prescription drugs can be expensive, and may only treat the symptoms of the ulcer, without curing the problem. Surgery is extremely invasive and costly, and while in an emergency situation when a bleeding ulcer is involved can save lives, oftentimes it can be avoided.

Many people are reaching for a more natural and minimally invasive solution when it comes to treating a stomach ulcer. Here are a few options you can try to relieve your stomach ulcer.

– Your first step if you have an ulcer should be to stop smoking! In addition to the other detrimental effects of smoking, it has been shown to cause and worsen ulcers, including increasing the fatality rate from ulcers.

– Lower your stress levels. Stress induced ulcers can’t heal if you’re still stressed out! Reducing your stress level is also an excellent way to prevent ulcers in the future. Maintain a calm attitude, take deep breaths, count to 10, try a course on meditation, practice regular light exercise, whatever it takes. Everyone is different and responds to stress in various ways, so find the way that works best for you to keep your stress at a bare minimum.

– Avoid foods that cause heartburn. Everyone has their own food triggers, but some common ones are spicy foods, citrus fruits, alcohol, garlic, and onions are just a few. Heartburn can easily cause and exacerbate stomach ulcers, so it should be avoided at all costs.

– Eat healthy. Providing your body with the proper nutrition can help it to heal faster. Make sure you have a balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients, and focus on easily digestible foods, so as to avoid irritating the ulcer.

– Avoid pain killers. Various pain killers like Asprin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Midol, Excedrin and others have been known to cause and worsen ulcers. Often, they will not help with pain from an ulcer and may even worsen it, so don’t take them if you suspect or have been diagnosed with an ulcer.

– Along those same lines, avoid vitamins that can be hard for your body to digest. Iron and calcium are known to cause heartburn, so stay away from them in their pure forms. Get those nutrients from your foods instead. Milk, and lean red meats (like beef, pork and lamb) are good sources of calcium and iron.

Stomach ulcers are not something to be messed around with, so always consult your physician if you suspect you may have one. For more natural remedies, and information on how to treat stomach ulcers, visit refluxremedy.com today!

Ulcers can happen throughout the entire digestive tract, but when they happen in the stomach specifically, they’re referred to as gastric ulcers. Gastric ulcer causes are numerous, but one cause is the most common.

H. Pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a corkscrew shaped bacteria that lives in the digestive tract. The bacteria is fairly common, and in most cases isn’t harmful. However, occasionally it can inflame the lining of your stomach, and disrupt the mucus layer which causes an ulcer.

H. Pylori can be transmitted from close contact, like kissing. It can also enter the digestive tract through contaminated water or food. It’s a fairly common infection, with half of the people who are over 60 contracting it, and one in five people under 30 getting it.

Other Causes

While H.Pylori is an extremely common cause of ulcers, it’s not the only cause. NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are a big cause of gastric ulcers. Medications like Motrin, Ibuprofen, Asprin, Aleve and others can damage the stomach’s delicate lining, resulting in an ulcer. NSAIDs block the production of an enzyme that protects the stomach’s lining against damage and injury. Without this protection, the stomach is vulnerable to acids. If you have an ulcer, make sure your doctor is aware of that fact before he or she prescribes any kind of pain reliever, including prescription pain medications or over the counter NSAIDs.

Smoking is also pointed to as another main cause of ulcers. The nicotine found in tobacco is thought to increase the production of stomach acids, which eat away at the lining, resulting in a painful ulcer. Smoking also slows the healing process, which can be detrimental when trying to get over a gastric ulcer. If you are diagnosed with an ulcer, it is best to stop smoking so that your body can heal, and keep ulcers from recurring in the future.

Although it’s unclear whether excessive alcohol consumption can cause an ulcer, or merely exacerbate an existing ulcer, it should be avoided if you suspect that you have an ulcer or have a family history of ulcers. Alcohol eats away at the mucus lining of the stomach, making it vulnerable to damage and stomach acids. Monitor your alcohol consumption to ensure a healthy digestive tract.

Although stress can’t be pointed to as a sure fire cause of gastric ulcers, it can certainly worsen them. Stress causes the body to overproduce stomach acids which eat away at the body’s stomach lining. If you have an ulcer, or are susceptible to ulcers, take steps to dramatically reduce your stress levels. You can try taking a course on meditation, or practicing regular exercise to reduce your stress. Additionally, something as simple as taking a deep breath, listening to soothing instrumental music, or counting to 10 can often help you maintain a calmer attitude. Stress is thought to exacerbate a number of health problems, so reducing your stress level can do nothing but good for your body.

For more information on gastric ulcer causes, visit www.refluxremedy.com today!