Whats a ulcer?

If you’ve ever had a burning pain in your stomach that makes you want to curl up into the fetal position and question all of your life choices, chances are it was an ulcer. But what exactly is an ulcer, you may ask? Fear not, my curious friend, for I am here to answer all of your burning questions about this pesky little ailment.

First things first: what the hell is an ulcer anyway?

An ulcer is basically a sore or lesion that develops on the lining of your stomach or small intestine. It’s like when you accidentally bite the inside of your cheek and then keep poking at it with your tongue even though you know it’s only going to make things worse. Except instead of being caused by reckless mouth habits, ulcers are typically brought on by either infection from bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (hella cool name btw) or long-term use of certain medications like aspirin or ibuprofen.

I heard there were different types?

Yup! There are actually two main types of ulcers:
– Gastric ulcers: these bad boys form in the lining of your stomach.
– Duodenal ulcers: these ones set up shop in the upper part of your small intestine (aka the duodenum).

Both kinds can cause a ton of discomfort and painful symptoms (big surprise there) but they do have some subtle differences in terms of where they’re located and how they tend to feel.

Ok but why do people get them?

Excellent question! As mentioned earlier, H. pylori infection and medication overuse are two common culprits behind ulcers. However, there are also some other factors at play:

Stress

You know that feeling when you’re so stressed out that everything feels like one big ball of anxiety melting together? Well apparently prolonged periods high stress levels can lead to ulcers too. It’s like your body is saying “oh, you’re gonna put me through this hell? Fine, I’ll make sure you suffer in return”.

Spicy foods

If you love salsa and hot sauce as much as I do (‘seriously though who doesn’t?’), this one might be hard to swallow. But unfortunately for us spice enthusiasts, eating a ton of spicy food can irritate the lining of our stomachs and increase our chances of developing an ulcer.

Genetics

Some people are just more prone to getting ulcers than others due to their genes. It’s like if your family history was a Choose Your Own Adventure book and instead of picking between different endings, it was all leading up to either gastric or duodenal ulcers (sounds thrilling).

Great so how do I know I have one?

Oh trust me, you’ll know. Here are some classic symptoms that may indicate an ulcer:
– A gnawing pain in your abdomen/belly that tends to come and go.
– Nausea/vomiting.
– Loss of appetite (because why eat when everything hurts anyway?)
– Feeling super full/bloated after eating even tiny amounts.

Basically anything that makes it feel like Godzilla is having a dance party inside your stomach probably means it’s time to see a doctor.

Can they be treated?

Yep! Your doctor will likely prescribe certain medications (antibiotics or acid reducers) depending on what caused the ulcer in the first place (give me those sweet sweet drugs pls). You may also be advised to make some lifestyle changes such as cutting down on alcohol/spicy foods/stressful situations. Basically try not let everything in life ruin your insides from top-to-bottom.

Any complications with these things?

Sometimes (cue dramatic music) things don’t go according plan despite following instructions carefully – in this case, treatment or lack thereof can lead to some pretty nasty complications such as:
Internal bleeding: Since the lining of an ulcerated area in your stomach is basically worn away, it can cause blood vessels to become exposed leading to internal bleeding. Basically anything that isn’t meant to bleed shouldn’t be doing so!
Perforation: Similarly, untreated ulcers could lead to a hole being punctured through your stomach/intestines wall which about as unpleasant and life-threatening as it sounds.

Any last words of wisdom?

Ulcers suck (there’s really no way around that) but they’re definitely treatable with proper medical attention (doing a big finger-wag – take care of yourself people!). So now you know what stomached problems you may encounter while taking too much Advil! Happy eating!

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