Feeling depressed, wrung out, moody and stressed? Feeling bloated an hour or so after eating? Chest tightness, disturbed sleep, and indeed disturbed bowl motions?
Are you suffering from a burning that goes further than just a bit of indigestion, causing loss of appetite, pain or nausea at night, tension and worry? Are you vomiting, bloating, suffering severe wind-pain; are you passing black and tarry or black-flecked stools?
You may have some or all of these symptoms - and if so, see your Doctor immediately - and then get on to the road to recovery by following these simple instructions.
However, I must stress that if after you have seen your doctor, and followed these instructions, and you still have symptoms after a period of 6 weeks, please return to your doctor for further investigation immediately.
The following is intended as a guide only: Always tell your Doctor about any supplements you are taking, and follow the Doctors advice; always take prescribed medicines as instructed by your healthcare professional.
Millions of people suffer from some form of gastric upset, some causing ulceration of the internal digestive tract at some point in their lives; most suffer from mild forms of indigestion, heartburn etc, with no complications, and generally treat themselves with over the counter ant-acids.
However, a certain percentage of us have complications that go further than just heartburn or wind-pain.
Many may only notice a slight burning under the breastbone, and still others never experience even that, continuing life oblivious to the canker-like sore that has borne its way into a part of their stomach lining, esophagus or duodenal tube in the upper intestine.
Ulcers however, can be very painful, and if left untreated, can lead to Gastritis (where the stomach lining becomes totally enflamed,) internal bleeding of the ulcer, which if aggravated further can lead to massive internal blood loss causing death; and perforation, which happens when the ulcer creates a hole that goes completely through the outer membrane, causing partly digested food juices and acid to leak into the abdominal cavity, which in turn leads to infection of the Peritoneum (Peritonitis and extremely painful) and if not hospitalized for immediate surgery, death.
If you suspect an ulcer, it's best to have a doctor's diagnosis to confirm, as many of these symptoms can also mean problems with the bile duct, liver and gall bladder, or even a tumour of the stomach/duodenum (cancer).
I can not stress this enough - see your doctor!
Once your doctor has confirmed that you have an ulcer (usually by way of an endoscopy - a thin tube with a camera mounted on the end is passed down the throat into the stomach and upper duodenum, and had blood test for a bacterium called H.Pylori) then the doctor will most likely prescribe a photon pump inhibitor such as Omeprazole (Prilosec) or Nexium, which effectively inhibits the production of stomach acid, thereby alleviating the burning sensation, and further irritation of the lining. If the patient has tested positive for H.Pylori, then a course of two antibiotics will also be prescribed to eliminate the bacterium from the system, and this should also limit future occurrences of ulcers.
With these medications in place, the body is then given the chance to heal - and that's where it is advisable to watch your diet!
Firstly, if you are a smoker or a drinker it is advised that you stop altogether, but in this day and age, with alcohol and nicotine being the obscenely addictive vices that they are, any cut-back should help with the healing process.
Next, steer clear of any citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, mandarins and their juices, tomatoes and their juices, any fruit and vegetables that are known to have high acid content - no use adding insult to injury!
Pastries are also a big no-no, the fat content alone negates these little tasters from the menu, alcoholic drinks and caffeine of any kind, be it coffee, tea (unless it's camomile) or caffeinated fizzy drinks, should all be avoided due to the irritation it causes.
Sorry girls, but this also includes chocolate!
And cut back on sugar intake while things are healing.
Another big food group to avoid is wheat products such as breads and buns (including donuts!) pastas and all noodles. Because the human digestive system finds gluten and lectins in wheat hard to digest, more acid is produced, again causing irritation.
Most medical and homeopathic remedies call for increasing the intake of dairy products, and in most cases dairy has a soothing affect on stomach linings. However, in recent medical tests it has been discovered that although initially milk or yoghurt or cream will soothe pain, there is also a "kick-back" effect whereby more acid is produced to break down the high fat content in dairy. Great!
