Symptoms

Burning upper abdominal pain, particularly between meals, early in the morning, or after drinking orange juice, coffee, or alcohol, or taking aspirin; discomfort is usually relieved after taking antacids or eating a meal. Tarry, black, or bloody stools.

Call your doctor if:

  • you have been diagnosed with a stomach ulcer and begin experiencing symptoms of anemia, such as fatigue and a pallid complexion. Your ulcer may be bleeding.
  • you have symptoms of a stomach ulcer and develop severe back pain. Your ulcer may be perforating the stomach wall. Call your doctor now.
  • you have symptoms of a stomach ulcer and vomit blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, or you pass dark red, bloody, or black stools, or stools that resemble currant jelly. These symptoms indicate internal bleeding; call 911 or your emergency number now.
  • you have an ulcer and become cold and clammy, and feel faint or actually do faint. These are symptoms of shock, usually resulting from massive blood loss; get emergency medical treatment.

Treatment Options

Herbal Beauty

An ulcer should always be monitored by your doctor. When a bacterial infection has been diagnosed as the cause, the best treatment is with antibiotics, which can permanently cure the ulcer. Many people also use over-the-counter antacids for symptom relief. There are, however, a variety of alternative treatments that can aid in relieving pain and in healing ulcers.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture targeting the points associated with stress, anxiety, and stomach/gastrointestinal disorders may help with the treatment of peptic ulcers. Consult a licensed acupuncturist.

Herbal Therapy

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), which stimulates mucus secretion by the stomach, is frequently used in herbal treatments of ulcers. Herbalists and naturopathic physicians typically employ a special preparation of licorice rather than the tincture or tea form; consult an herbal practitioner.

Mind/Body Medicine

Biofeedback, meditation, and other relaxation techniques can help you learn how to deal effectively with stress, which increases stomach acid production and irritates ulcers.

A Hole in the Stomach

A peptic ulcer is a break in the protective lining of the esophagus, the stomach, or the duodenum. Duodenal and gastric ulcers (inset) are the two commonest forms. Their typical symptoms are recurring pain in the upper abdomen and a bloated feeling after eating.

Nutrition and Diet

Some nutritionists recommend supplementing your intake of vitamins A and E as well as zinc, which increase the production of mucin, a substance your body secretes to protect the stomach lining. Another suggestion may include drinking about a quart of cabbage juice daily; its high content of glutamine is thought to expedite the growth of mucin-producing cells.

Home Remedies

Cut down on milk. Although it may feel as though milk’s coating properties are soothing your ulcer, milk actually stimulates stomach acid secretion, irritating the ulcer.

Pick appropriate antacids. Like milk, calcium- containing antacids can stimulate stomach acid secretion. Experiments suggest that bismuth, an ingredient in some over-the-counter stomach medications, may help destroy the bacterium that causes some peptic ulcers.

Be cautious when choosing over-the-counter pain relievers. Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can cause ulcers and prevent an existing ulcer from healing. Your best choice may be acetaminophen, which does not cause or promote stomach ulcers.

Learn how to deal with stress. While there is no evidence that stress causes ulcers, it can exacerbate existing ones. Practicing relaxation techniques can help alleviate stress.

Prevention

Avoid foods and beverages such as caffeinated drinks that irritate your stomach. Use common sense: If it upsets your stomach, avoid it.

Spicy and fatty foods are common irritants. m Eat foods with high fiber content. Fiber is thought to enhance mucin secretion.

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