*PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE:* THE ACTUAL CAUSES AND REMEDIES MAJOR CAUSES 1• H. Pylori bacteria 2• Pain medications (NSAID class) If you already have an ulcer, you have a third factor to deal with ; 3• Ulcer-triggering foods. *PEPTIC ULCER AND H. PYLORI BACTERIA* H. pylori is a bacteria that can cause peptic ulcer disease in your stomach and the first part of your small intestine called Duodenum. The bacteria sits pretty in many people’s body without causing symptoms, but when it eventually decides to cause symptoms, they are usually severe and may be as complicated as posing a risk of stomach cancer. This is especially possible when treatment is neglected or not done properly. For H. pylori to colonize your body, 4 things must happen; 1. The bacteria must survive the acidic condition of the stomach. It does that by increasing its metabolic activity and when that happens it will break its urea into carbon dioxide and ammonium. When ammonium combines with water in your stomach, it produces a base “Ammonium hydroxide” Remember what we were taught in primary school, that a base neutralizes an acid.? Yes so in short that’s what happens. This produced base helps the bacteria to look stomach acid in the eye and say “uzongenzani sani? You got nothing on me “ 😭 If you have ever wondered why the acidic nature of the stomach doesn't hurt the bacteria, you found your answer already. 2. Secondly, it moves towards your epithelium cells(stomach wall) by using its flagella.(tail) H. Pylori understands that if it remains at the epithelial surface of the stomach, it may need to keep battling with acid neutralization Guess what it does? This guy uses some of its flagella to dig itself into the wall of the stomach to move to the basal layer of the stomach, where the PH level is very close to 7. Remember PH 7 is the neutral PH, so it stays there to calculate the next move When we say complete your antibiotics, it's simply because we know what you are wrestling against. 3• Thirdly, with the aid of adhesins, it attaches to your stomach cell receptors. Guess why? H. pylori knows that if it just stays there without bonding with the stomach family, it can be kicked out by certain forces, One of those forces is when food is moving down the stomach or during gastric emptying. Since the bacteria has gained ground it begins to show its true character in the stomach😭 This is where number 4 comes in; 4. It releases toxins to cause tissue damage. The two majorly implicated toxins are; -Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA ) -Cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA) Once it reaches this stage, every other damage on the cells follows. *SYMPTOMS OF H.pylori INFECTION* Most times it's asymptomatic, but some common symptoms are ; - Heartburn - Abdominal pain - Morning hunger - Halitosis (bad breath ) - Diarrhea - Nausea & vomiting - Indigestion & bloating - Loss of appetite - Weight loss/gain *WHERE CAN IT BE FOUND?* -Saliva -Teeth plagues -Faeces -Food and water -Contaminated utensils This is why it is transmitted via kissing and fecal-oral means, for people who don't practice proper hand washing after using the toilet. *WHAT CAN INCREASE RISK OF HAVING H.pylori INFECTION?* 1• Children are at higher risk; a lot of people got infected in childhood, however, were asymptomatic until later in life 2• living in a crowded environment 3• Poor sewer services and lack of clean portable water 4•living with an infected person 5• Having a sexual partner who is infected 6• Having multiple sexual partners 7• Poor environmental hygiene and personal care *TREATMENT* The infection is treated with combination therapy, which will usually include antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole and symptomatic agents like Antacids. Lifestyle modifications are also recommended *PREVENTION OF H.pylori infection* 1• Eat well-cooked food 2• practice proper hand washing 3•Avoid unclean water 4• Don't be served by people who don't wash their hands 5• Advice and support your partner to treat the infection if they are infected Let’s continue into the influence of food ; KEY THINGS TO NOTE 1• Ulcer is not caused by hunger 2• Ulcer is not improved by eating plenty of food. 3• People who are light eaters are not the ones more likely to have peptic ulcer. 4• Drinking milk will not heal your ulcer, it might make it worse. *HOW TO EAT WHEN YOU HAVE PUD* *(Peptic ulcer disease)* 1. Eat small portions at a time instead of large portions at once. 2. Chew your food properly before you swallow; to exert less stress on your digestive tract. 3. Don’t rush your meal; you may increase the intensity of acid secretion and make your symptoms worse. 4. Don’t eat close to bedtime, unless you will forfeit sleeping at your usual time 5. Don’t heavy meals as a way to relieve ulcers; this will give you the opposite effect. *FOODS TO AVOID IN PEPTIC ULCER* 1• Alcohol; It reduces the consistentency of the stomach protective agent and irritates the stomach lining. This makes the lining too weak to offer any protection to the stomach walls and eventually, inflammation occurs. 2• Chocolate 3• Coffee 4• Caffeinated and carboanted drinks 5•Fatty meals 6•Highly spiced food 7• Citrus fruits 8•Minimize tomatoes intake 9•Milk; avoid taking it on an empty stomach and take it with caution 10• Fried foods 11• Beans *OBSERVING YOUR TOLERANCE* The treatment of ulcers has been difficult for many patients. In practice, we record different experiences from different people when they eat similar foods. While some patients can take vitamin C, some patients report a negative effect. It is important to observe what foods or drinks that worsen your symptoms. Your doctor can only tell you what may put you at risk and what may not. But you still have a role to play. Take out 4 weeks and diligently modify your lifestyle, while taking your medications and you will surely note the difference. *HOW PAIN MEDICATIONS CAUSE PUD* The stomach is made up of certain substances that line its walls and help to protect it from bacteria and other microbes. These protective agents also protect the walls from the secreted acids in the stomach. One of the major protective agents in the stomach is Prostaglandin. It protects the stomach lining and also enhances the secretion of the stomach base to minimize negative acid impact. Guess what these pain medications do? On a normal day, these medications work by reducing the production of this protective agent (prostaglandin). When they do this, they deny your stomach the benefit of being protected by Mr Prosta When you take pain medications in the right doses, right frequency, and with food in your stomach, your risk of developing ulcers is reduced. But we know our habits, slight headache at work pain killers, babalazi-painkillers , small thing nje - painkiller. Ohho 😊 *HOW YOU MAKE THEM STRIKE* 1. Taking them on an empty stomach increases the risk of peptic ulcer 2. Taking an overdose of these medications also increases your risk 3. Taking them for a long period increases your risk. 4. Taking many of them at the same time (mixing drugs) increases your risk 5. Ladies who experience dysmenorrhea and have resorted to consistent pain medications without consulting a gynecologist may increase their risk of PUD. 6. ⁠Some people start their day with pain medications before even having breakfast. This is a habit you need to cut. Don’t get this wrong, pain medications are quite beneficial when taken correctly and by the right person. But if you have a peptic ulcer, it’s crucial to inform your pharmacist. The reason is that there are specific pain medications designed not to harm the protective lining of your stomach. Your pharmacist can easily provide these safer options for you. Not only can your pharmacist provide special pain medications that won’t harm your stomach lining, but they can also add in a few other medications to counteract any damaging effects of the pain medications. #beintheknow #ndlalanehealth