What are the Causes of Stomach Ulcers? Symptoms to know Plus Natural Treatments

By Esther Edeh, B.Sc -BCHHealth

Last updated on June 11th, 2023 at 04:07 pm

10 minutes read.   

I believe you’re already familiar with the phrase “stomach ulcer”, even if you haven’t heard it before you may know someone who is presently suffering from an ulcer.

Stomach ulcers also known as gastric ulcers may be affecting 50 percent of people suffering from painful ulcers. One in every 10 adults can expect to deal with painful ulcers at one point or another.

For many years, doctors thought that high amounts of stress alone could cause a stomach ulcer to form by increasing the production of stomach acid.

Fortunately, research emerged in the 1980s showed that frequent use of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs _anti pain drugs), a poor lifestyle, a poor diet, and a type of bacterial infection caused by the strain Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are the real culprits of the majority of ulcers.

However, new studies have shown that the prevalence of ulcer caused by H.pylori infection have become substantially less prevalent than they were two decades ago.

This article takes you through all the possible causes of stomach ulcers, symptoms to look out for, how to treat them permanently, and how you can protect yourself and your family from getting ulcers in the first place. Feel free to skip ahead.

In this article:

What Is Stomach Ulcer?

Stomach ulcers often called gastric ulcers, are painful wounds that develop in the lining of your digestive system.

They usually form in the stomach but can also sometimes develop in the upper part of the small intestine. This is called duodenum or esophagus ulcer.

Then the combination of stomach ulcer and duodenum/intestinal ulcer is called peptic ulcer.

How Does Ulcer Develop?

Ulcers form when excess gastric acids, bacteria, drugs, or other “toxins” cause damage and small openings to the mucosa.

Mucosa is the tissue that lines the stomach, parts of the small intestine, and other organs. Mucosa normally protects particles from leaking out from the digestive organ.

When someone has an ulcer, hydrochloric acid and pepsin (a type of digestive enzyme that digests proteins) build up and destroy parts of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract (GI).

The stomach usually manages acid/pepsin by creating a thick mucus coating that is supposed to act as a buffer between the stomach lining and the acids inside the stomach.

The mucus coating itself usually produces certain chemicals that help repair the stomach lining, keep blood circulating, and carry out cellular renewal processes.

But some parts of this process can become disturbed, and the lining of the gastrointestinal tract can become exposed, forming small sores/wounds (ulcers).

When you eat a meal, food washes the acid in your stomach away temporarily, as it’s used to break down the nutrients in the recently consumed food.

However, once your food is digested, the acid once again accumulates in the stomach and can wash against the “raw base” of the ulcer, exposing and opening it up. This causes a burning, painful sensation, sometimes one that’s very strong.

Can Stomach Ulcers Go Away On Their Own?

Research shows that making changes to your diet, lifestyle plus reducing stress, can help lower your chances of suffering from a stomach ulcer in the first place.

And if you’ve already got an ulcer, the chances of it healing with diet, lifestyle changes, and medications are very possible.

What’s H. Pylori?

Many years ago researchers found a bacterium named Helicobacter pylori was virtually present in nearly everyone suffering from stomach ulcers.

It was also found to run in families and was connected to other digestive disorders, including stomach cancer.

In patients given medications/antibiotics to kill H. pylori, ulcers were often resolved at least for a period of time but may likely return back.

However, today it’s more common to treat ulcers using less risky acid-reducing drugs in combination with lifestyle and dietary changes, rather than prescribing antibiotics to kill H. pylori, which can come with complications and lead to antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotics used to combat H. pylori can work short-term to lower the bacteria but don’t seem to keep it from returning without other interventions.

Contrary to popular belief, research shows that men develop duodenal ulcers (located in the small intestines) more often than any other kind, including stomach ulcers.

While women tend to develop more stomach ulcers and fewer ulcers of the duodenal.

Many doctors refer to stomach ulcers simply as peptic ulcers.

Symptoms of Stomach Ulcer

Clinical studies have shown that about two-thirds of people found to have peptic ulcers are asymptomatic, meaning that they do not show symptoms until they become chronic.

What Does Stomach Ulcer Pain Feel Like?

The most common signs and symptoms of a stomach ulcer include:

  • abdominal pains and burning sensations, including bloating (especially after eating and between the belly and breastbone) including stomach pinching.
  • bleeding when vomiting (my grandma has experienced this)
  • blood in the stool

You know what, I have dealt with stomach ulcers for 7 years, and experienced bloody stool for months when it became severe, so I know exactly how it feels. But never bother much because am going to show you how I was able to come out of this health chaos.

  • nausea and vomiting
  • darker stools
  • loss of appetite and changes in body weight
  • trouble sleeping due to pain
  • other digestive complaints like heartburn, acid reflux, feeling gassy
  • a chronic ulcer may lead to perforation of the organ lining (a life-threatening condition requiring emergency surgery to repair small openings in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract)
  • dehydration, weakness, and fatigue (if food intake is changed in response to pain when eating)
  • diarrhea can occur as a symptom even before other stomach ulcer symptoms start.

Find Out How To Know That You Have Blood In the Stool

How serious is a stomach ulcer?

Ulcer symptoms are not only painful but can also lead to complications, such as infections, changes in appetite, and ongoing nausea/vomiting.

Ulcers can cause a range of symptoms, some that are milder and go away quickly, but others that linger and cause a good deal of pain.

Symptoms of ulcers are usually noticeable and painful, especially when they become severe, such as is the case with a high percentage of duodenal ulcers.

How Long Does It Take For A Stomach Ulcer To Heal?

Uncomplicated stomach/gastric ulcers usually take two or three months to heal if you stick to the diet and lifestyle required to take quick recovery.

Duodenal ulcers tend to heal quicker than gastric ulcers. While most ulcers are capable of healing, an ulcer can come back if precautions aren’t taken.

Stomach Ulcer Complications

Research shows that around 35 percent of patients with ulcers experience other complications besides immediate pain, including the chance for severe perforation of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and internal bleeding.

Can Stomach Ulcer Kill?

Ulcers are often pretty painful and can trigger other digestive symptoms, however, they commonly don’t raise a big risk of death.

One reason ulcer is very dangerous to your overall health is that it will make you suffer a deficiency of some vital nutrients as a result of selecting food and will expose you to excess intake of antacid that cannot heal the ulcer but only neutralizes the stomach acid and heartburn and may even lead to perforation of the intestine if left untreated for a long period.

A high percentage of ulcers (up to 90 percent of all cases) can be resolved without the need for surgery or serious medication use.

Peptic ulcers can also play a part in other diseases, particularly diseases related to the liver and kidneys. A stomach ulcer can lead to bleeding in liver cirrhosis and can be a sign of chronic kidney disease.

Related: How does Alcohol affect your Liver? All you need to know about Alcohol-related Liver Disease.

normal intestine vs ulcer intestine

Causes And Risk Factors Of Ulcer

Many of these things may lead to Ulcers.

The most common stomach ulcer causes include:

  • Infection in the digestive system caused by the bacteria H. pylori. H. pylori.

Some clinical studies show that H. pylori is found in more than 60 percent of older patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers.

  • Long-term use of nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory medications or over-the-counter drugs (for example pain relievers like ibuprofen, diclofenac, and aspirin and others).

This had been the main cause of stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers.

Remember you started taking pain relievers when you were a kid probably given to you by your mother whenever you sustain a physical injury or have a severe fever.

This is coupled with other chemicals you get exposed to through processed food and beverages. Isn’t it true? Do you see why many people are suffering from ulcers?

  • A low immune system is caused by high levels of inflammation, a poor diet, high amounts of stress, and other poor lifestyle habits.
  • Smoking cigarettes and excessive alcohol use; research shows smokers have double the chance of forming ulcers.
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Not drinking water especially when you’re a little bit hungry
  • From the growth of a tumor (which could be either cancerous or noncancerous) that forms in the stomach, intestines, or pancreas (known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which affects only about one in every 1 million people). This can be very rare
  • Gene

Our genetic conformation differs, and as a result, some people are more prone to develop when they are exposed to any of the risk factors

  • Older age

The peak age for experiencing ulcers is between 55 and 65 years old.

As people get older, they tend to have weaker immune systems and higher levels of inflammation, which raises the risk for H. pylori infections that damage the stomach lining and can lead to the formation of “bleeding ulcers.”

One longitudinal study found that about 17 percent of older adults admitted to nursing homes had pressure ulcers at the time of admission, and the risk went up to 21 percent by the second year (likely due to the spread of H. pylori bacteria).

Let’s look at some of the conventional treatment vs the natural remedy.

Diagnosis

  • Stool test

One of the common ways to diagnose ulcers is by testing stool for H.pylori antigen

  • Blood test

Another common way is to test your blood for the presence of H.pylori.

Your doctor will likely take your medical history and perform a physical exam along with a blood test, ask you about your past use of medications, and possibly do an X-ray to locate a stomach ulcer.

  • Endoscopy

Your doctor may perform an endoscopy, which allows the doctor to view the inside lining of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Once a diagnosis is verified, treatment options can begin.

Conventional Treatment

The goal of stomach ulcer treatments is to help reduce pain and inflammation in the digestive tract, boost the immune system to fight H. pylori bacteria, prevent complications, and lower the chance for future ulcers from forming or returning.

Unfortunately, conventional treatments don’t normally tackle the root of ulcers.

One of the common conventional treatments for ulcers includes the use of:

  • Antacids And Acid-Reducing Medications

Ulcer medications come with different brand names including antacid, gestid, and others.

Does Taking Antacid Medication Health Ulcer?

Anti-acid medicine may be used for two to six weeks to help heal and relieve pain.

Taking antacids for a stomach ulcer might help ease the pain temporarily, but it will keep coming back if the underlying issue causing the ulcer including the wound isn’t resolved, such as the use of pain reliever, carbonated beverages, alcohol, and cigarettes.

Your doctor might also prescribe other medications to reduce stomach acid and coat, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), histamine blockers, and H2-receptor antagonists like Ranitidine, or the protectant sucralfate (Carafate).

Acid-blocking medications may also be given intravenously in severe cases.

Antibiotics are sometimes used to control H.pylori, along with acid-suppressing medications, for about two to eight weeks.

This combination is sometimes called “triple therapy” or “quadruple therapy.”

Once antibiotics are stopped after about two to three weeks, acid-suppressing medications may be taken for up to eight weeks.

Blood transfusions are used if bleeding due to an ulcer is severe.

Rarely, surgery may be needed to treat a perforated or bleeding peptic ulcer.

However, ultimately you want to manage your symptoms naturally long-term instead of relying on medications since these aren’t always long-term fixes. Aren’t you?

Six Months Natural Treatments Plan for Stomach Ulcer

If you want to put an ulcer to an end follow this natural master plan for six months straight while taking any ulcer medication whether herbal or conventional:

1. Eat a Stomach Ulcer Diet

A poor diet that includes lots of packaged, processed foods raises the risk for ulcers by promoting inflammation and hindering immune functions.

Eat more unprocessed whole food. Add vegetables and whole fiber foods like nuts and seeds in your often. Stop eating garri and beans for the six months of the healing plan. You can eat tapioca (Abacha) is a source of fiber.

Make cabbage juice and drink it at least once a week.

Research had shown that drinking cabbage juice has a great positive effect on stomach ulcers.

According to the study, Thirteen patients with peptic ulcers were treated with fresh cabbage juice,, and experiments have indicated, that cabbage contains an anti-peptic ulcer factor.

According to the Jackson Seigelbaum Gastroenterology Center, foods most frequently associated with gastric discomfort include:

  • black pepper
  • red or hot pepper and chili powder
  • caffeine
  • regular and decaffeinated coffee or tea
  • alcohol
  • cocoa, chocolate, and cola beverages
  • citrus fruits and juices
  • fatty and fried foods
  • tomato products
  • peppermint

You should also avoid watermelon because it increases the rate of digestion times two

2. Eat Whenever You Feel Hungry

Don’t wait too long to eat when you get hungry. Just find something to eat no matter how small, if you cannot find any food around buy water and keep drinking it until you find food to eat.

This reduces stomach acid because when you get hungry your stomach acid increases to excess. 

Skipping regular meals and eating only one to two times per day, but a large amount of food at once, can also make discomfort and expose you to stomach ulcers.

Eat a little meal at a time.

3. Avoid spicy food and refine sugar

While foods themselves don’t cause ulcers, some people find that eating spicy and sugary foods makes their symptoms worse (although this depends on the person and doesn’t affect everyone).

During this six months of healing plan avoid eating out and learn to make your food in your kitchen. This will help you control the spices you put in food. Cook or bake most of your food instead of frying.

4. Use only fresh onions, garlic, and turmeric to prepare virtually all your food for that six months of healing plan. Add fresh ginger in very little quantities at a time.

These herbs will provide you with a lot of antioxidants to protect your body from the stress of free radicals

5.Stop Taking Carbonated Drinks And Alcohol

Yes! Perhaps you cannot do without taking one to two bottles of drinks in a day, but am advising you if you really determine to heal that ulcer and even prevent another one from surfacing you need to marry water and make it your day-to-day beverage and alcohol for six months.

I call alcohol and carbonated beverages an empty diet. Because they don’t contribute anything good to your body rather they cause damage gradually. They slowly weaken your immune and cause inflammation that may lead to ulcers.

Related: How to Stay Hydrated (Drink Water)? 6 Steps to Follow

6. Limit the Use of NSAIDs (Pain Relievers)

People of any age who take NSAIDs for the long term are more likely to develop stomach ulcers and heartburn compared to people who don’t take them very often.

NSAIDs (like ibuprofen, diclofenac, Advil, etc) are prescribed very often to treat all sorts of conditions that cause fever, pain, and swelling — and some people rely on taking them practically often to help control their chronic or reoccurring pain (such as headaches, arthritis/joint pain, muscle tears, infections, colds and so on).

Painkiller drugs (NSAIDs) affect the gastrointestinal system by altering how digestive enzymes and stomach acids are produced.

The two enzymes (cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2) in your body produce chemicals that promote pain, inflammation, and fever.

One of the enzyme cause pain while one protects your body from developing inflammation or pain.

Painkiller drugs work by blocking the action of the two enzymes.

The enzyme which protects produces the chemical that protects the stomach lining from stomach acid which causes an ulcer.​

The two enzymes are responsible for the production of prostaglandins-a hormone that promotes ulcer and wound healing. 

Painkiller drugs (NSAIDs) also block the formation of some prostaglandins which usually protect against ulcers.

What do you think will happen to your body when this happens?

Sure! The drug will hinder the pain symptoms and make you feel relief. However, they, in turn, expose you more to developing ulcers, since they damage the naturally occurring chemical that protects your digestive linings.  

If you can, stop taking the NSAIDs or at least greatly reduce how much of them you take. Be health-wise because not all health professionals will tell you this truth.

7. Stop Smoking If You Do

Reduce or stop smoking for the six months healing plan. This will boost your immune protection against ulcer-causing infections and inflammation.

For example, research facts show that smoking cigarettes makes ulcers harder to heal and possibly more painful.

8. Manage Stress

Although the theory that stress alone causes stomach ulcers is no longer fully supported, stress can still play a part in the development of ulcers, and the condition is still considered somewhat “psychological.”

Stress weakens the immune system and interferes with the digestion process, making you more likely to become sick from various bacteria or microbes you come into contact with.

Stress is not only when you overwork yourself either indoors or outdoors.

We are living in a world filled with financial/economic stress, family, personal burden /spiritual stress, a lot of things worry our head and all these contribute to heavy stress to the brain, which in turn may start affecting your overall health with time.  

Alternative Way Of Dealing With Pains

Here is what I do instead of using oral painkillers, I use topical analgesics (the cream form of NSAIDs) to massage the area I have pain or inflammation.

I rarely have a fever but if I do, I take herbal formulas like the one for dengue fever (malaria), take my bath with warm water, and find some time to sleep. If I wake up I will get my health back. Then I kill the remaining with psychology.

Find out Home Remedies for Dengue Fever

Whether you’re aware or not, psychology plays a big role in why some people fall sick often. Learn to heal yourself with psychology by continues making a silent affirmation that goes against such sickness.

I also think of if there is any vital nutrient(s) am lacking which must have caused the decline in my immune function that results in fever. Once I find out I will do everything possible to buy the food and start eating them.

For example, animal pure protein such as egg, poultry meat, fish, snails, beans, including akidi (black beans), dark green vegetables including okuru/okra and fruits, onions, garlic, and turmeric, red palm oil among others contain a whole lot of nutrients that will help boost your immune function.  

Except if you’re treating heavy wounds physical or internal in that your healthcare may want to prescribe painkillers for quick recovery. But once you get fully well discontinue, please.

Best Method To Deal With Stress

The best method to manage stress is to take advantage of natural stress relievers like regular mild exercising.

Take off a day and get a full sleep probably during the daytime. Turn off everything and get long sleep. This nurtures your brain and helps it build new energy.

Practice meditation, listen to music, and practice mild dancing in your room. Use relaxing essential oils if available.

Conclusion

Stomach ulcers often called gastric ulcers, are painful wounds that develop in the lining of your digestive system.

Much research has shown that frequent use of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs _anti pain drugs), a poor lifestyle, a poor diet, and a type of bacterial infection caused by the strain Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are the real culprits of the majority of ulcers.

Symptoms include abdominal pain/pinch, blood in the stool, heartburn, excess exhaling of gas after eating, blood while vomiting, loss of appetite, dehydration, and diarrhea.  

Causes and risk factors include long-term use of painkiller drugs, a bacterium named helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori), excess intake of poor diets such as processed foods, carbonated drinks, and alcohol, gene, age, taking too long before eating when hungry.

You can reduce stomach ulcer symptoms using conventional drugs such as antacids or gestid or other ulcers conventional medication prescribed by healthcare. But have in mind that this medication cannot heal the wound (ulcer), they only relieve the symptom.

To heal stomach ulcers permanently you should avoid taking oral painkillers (NSAIDs) and use only topical cream type if you must use them.

Avoid all the avoidable causes and risk factors of stomach ulcers as mentioned in this article. 

You may want to follow my six months natural treatment for stomach ulcers while taking your ulcer medication whether herbal or conventional as explained above.

Talk to your doctor about other options for controlling pain. If you still need NSAIDs, take them with a meal, take a lower dose, or take them along with medications that can protect your stomach and duodenum

I hope you get the value worth your time, I appreciate the time you spend with me. Leave a comment below if you find this article helpful and don’t forget to drop your question, opinion, or criticism if any. Cheers!

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

The content provided in Living Good is for informational and educational purposes only. It’s not intended to provide medical advice or take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal doctor. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Living Good Blog takes no responsibility for possible health consequences of any person(s) reading or following the information in this educational content. Viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medication, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program.

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