Some pain killers are major causes of stomach ulcer – experts say
Several people hold the notion that ulcer is caused by indulging in late meals while others believe taking some types of drinks causes the disease. However, Peptic Ulcers, commonly called stomach ulcers, are sores that occur along a person’s digestive tract, from the esophagus to small intestine. The primary causes are Helicobacter pylori, a pathological bacterium, and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
“Other causes of ulcer which are prevalent in Nigeria, include purchase of drugs over counter for relieving joint and body pain, referred to as Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) which include drugs like ibupriphen, diclofenac, Pirocican, Aspirin, Alabukun. There are quite a lot of them in the market, and those drugs are the number two causes of ulcer,” according to Anomneze Emmanuel, a consultant gastroenterologist who works in a private clinic in Lagos.
Emmanuel noted “people taking those drugs are prone to having ulcer when they have not been prescribed by a medical personnel or registered and qualified Pharmacist.
Also expantiating on possible causes of Ulcers, Ifeanacho Azih, a medical laboratory scientist, who manages Destiny Lab in Lagos, said “we have dietary inducement, that when you are not eating when you are suppose to eat and then the intestine enzymes start eating the wall of the intestine, causing you to have a wound there.
“We also have chemical inducement if you continue taking a lot of acidic diet, acidic food, like taking alcohol without feeding or something like pineapple, orange. All these acidic substances when ingested without having enough food in the stomach will make it highly acidic instead of being alkaline.
“It will be hidden in the working condition of the intestine enzyme, making the intestine very acidic and this will invariably perforate the intestine wall.
“Helicobacter pylori is the true cause of ulcer, if you know you have it you need to avoid eating late meal, and not fasting for too long,” Azih affirmed.
Emmanuel also explained that “about two-third of ulcers are cause by this bacterial infection and it is an infection that is often quite common in most developing countries, especially places where there is no access to clean potable water.”
Gorge Nwagha, a Pharmacist in Lagos, said “when you have been diagnosed of having stomach ulcer the doctor will advise not to take some certain foods, consumption of certain drugs and supplement, excessive alcohol consumption, spicy food and some beverages; in addition to these irregular meals and too much meal at a time.
Speaking on the symptoms of ulcer, Azih noted that, it depends on individuals.
“You can have recurrent stomach problem, body pain, back pain, chest pain towards the abdomen between the heart and the stomach, and you also have the body always steaming up, weakness of the body, then you also have indigestion; when you eat anything, like vegetable you pass it like that, there are food that will not digest when you have gastric ulcer.
Emmanuel corroborates this view saying “A stomach ulcer patient usually experiences pains from the mid-upper part of the abdomen, the upper part and the mid region of the abdomen. They could vary in character from biting to burning, aching pain.
“Most times it is related to meals, usually, hunger tends to provoke it and then taking meals late. Eating may reduce the pain but over eating may also trigger the pain. For different individuals there are different types of foods that may provoke the pain.
“Apart from hunger, some people if they take anything that is spicy, containing a lot of pepper, the pain will come up. Some people maybe when they take fried food, some people maybe when they take certain fruits,” he added.
Emmanuel noted “other symptom may include vomiting, feeling glutted; sometimes some people may vomit blood or they may pass blood in the stool.
He advised “eating in a regular interval, not to wait until someone gets hungry or to skip meals as part of weight loss efforts. Also people who undertake all this religious fasting are also more at risk of developing complications from ulcer because the stomach will be unable to neutralize acidity through any food or drink.
Individuals can also go for tests, to determine the existence of Helicobacter pylori infection and then if a person has it, they would need to see a doctor that could now decide based medical and family history whether they are likely to develop this ulcer because not everybody that has this infection develops ulcer.
Emmanuel explained “if there is family history of stomach ulcer then the doctor may decide to treat you to eliminate those bacteria because not everybody that has them has visible symptoms.
“Some people may have the infection and have some special genetic properties that protect them from having the ulcer. For somebody who is positive the person is better advised to avoid the painkillers that have been mentioned as one of the causes. Taking a lot of alcohol and smoking could also worsen the condition,” he said.
TIAMIYU ADIO