Physician Assistant at Somanya Polyclinic Mr. Ening Owusu has advised the public to minimize the intake of spicy foods to prevent peptic Ulcer. Speaking on the program Health Matters on Rite Fm he said peptic ulcers are sores that develop in the lining of the stomach, lower esophagus, or small intestine.
They’re usually formed as a result of inflammation caused by the bacteria H. Pylori, as well as erosion from stomach acids. Peptic ulcers are a fairly common health problem. He said there are three types of peptic ulcers Gastric ulcers that develop inside the stomach, esophageal ulcers that develop inside the esophagus and duodenal ulcers that develop in the upper section of the small intestines, called the duodenum
Different factors can cause the lining of the stomach, the esophagus, and the small intestine to break down. These include: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a type of bacteria that can cause a stomach infection and inflammation frequent use of aspirin (Bayer), ibuprofen (Advil), and other anti-inflammatory drugs (risk associated with this behavior increases in women and people over the age of 60) smoking, drinking too much alcohol, radiation therapy and stomach cancer
The most common symptom of a peptic ulcer is burning abdominal pain that extends from the navel to the chest, which can range from mild to severe. In some cases, the pain may wake you up at night. Small peptic ulcers may not produce any symptoms in the early phases.
Other common signs of a peptic ulcer include: changes in appetite, nausea bloody, or dark stools, unexplained weight loss, indigestion, and vomiting and chest pain
He added that untreated ulcers can become worse over time. They can lead to other more serious health complications such as perforation a hole develops in the lining of the stomach or small intestine and causes an infection. A sign of a perforated ulcer is sudden, severe abdominal pain.
Internal bleeding ulcers can result in significant blood loss and thus require hospitalization. Signs of a bleeding ulcer include lightheadedness, dizziness, and black stools.
Scar tissue this is thick tissue that develops after an injury. This tissue makes it difficult for food to pass through your digestive tract. Signs of scar tissue include vomiting and weight loss.
All three complications are serious and may require surgery therefore we seek urgent medical attention if you experience the following symptom sudden, sharp abdominal pain ,fainting, excessive sweating, or confusion, as these may be signs of shock blood in vomit or stool abdomen that’s hard to the touch
Abdominal pain that worsens with movement but improves with lying completely still. He conclude that we keep our environment clean and avoid taking in too much spicy foods.
Christina Ntiamoah /christinantiamoah73@gmail.com/ritefmonline.org
