Stomach ulcer symptoms are characterized by a burning sensation in the stomach, sometimes mistaken for heartburn. These symptoms can last anywhere from one half hour to several hours and may happen at any time. Although once thought to be caused mainly by stress, recent research shows that some stomach ulcers may be caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria which can be passed from person to person through kissing and contaminated foods.
There are two types of ulcers that people think of as stomach or peptic ulcers, the gastric ulcer which is actually formed in the stomach and the duodenal ulcer which forms beyond the stomach and the first foot of the small intestine. Stomach ulcers affect millions of people each year.
To relieve stomach ulcer symptoms naturally, your best bet is to change your eating habits. Certain foods can irritate ulcers and should be avoided which include spicy and fried foods, fatty foods and acidic foods. Although many people think that milk is a good way to relieve ulcer symptoms it should be taken in small amounts as the milk proteins can cause more gastric acids to be made which can irritate your ulcer. You should also avoid aspirin, tea, coffee, ibuprofen, alcohol and cigarettes.
Another natural way to relieve symptoms of a stomach ulcer is to make sure your diet is rich in soluble fiber. Some say that cabbage can help heal an ulcer as it contains glutamine which has been shown to heal ulcers and is also very high in fiber.
Other lifestyle changes such as de-stressing, meditating and yoga can help with stress-induced ulcers and no matter what kind of ulcer you have they certainly can’t hurt!
While finding natural ways to relieve your stomach ulcer symptoms is a good idea you also want to be sure that you visit your doctor to be sure that an ulcer is actually what you have and to find out about any treatments that might be better for your particular ulcer. You can also be tested for the Helicobacter pylori bacterium and if this is present, your doctor may recommend a regimen of antibiotics to kill off the bacteria and possibly cure your ulcer for good.
No matter which treatments you’re using to relieve your symptoms or possibly cure your ulcer altogether you need to give them time to work. You might see relief in a few days but you want to give it at least six weeks before you give up on the treatment.
While stomach ulcers are common they are nothing to take lightly. More than 4 million Americans will develop an ulcer each year and 40,000 of them will have surgery due to stomach ulcer symptoms. While ulcers are not usually fatal about 6000 Americans die from complications related to ulcers every year.
