Causes of ulcers: 10 that you may not be aware of

Ulcer is often associated with a "hobby" late to eat. The stomach that is left empty will then trigger excess stomach acid production and then give rise to a series of typical symptoms of heartburn, such as a bloated and sore stomach, heartburn, to nausea and vomiting. However, in fact, ulcer triggers are not only due to a messy diet. Come on, identify the various causes of ulcers so that they don't recur in the following.

Medical conditions that cause ulcers

Long story short, ulcer is not a special disease. Ulcer is actually a series of symptoms that indicate a certain problem or disease in the digestive system. That is why the cause of ulcers can be due to various things.

For more details, here are various causes of ulcers that are triggered by certain conditions:

1. Problems in the digestive tract

Apart from being well-known for having an irregular diet, medical conditions, aka diseases, can also cause you to experience ulcers.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, various digestive problems that cause ulcers, namely:

• Inflammation of the stomach (gastritis). Gastritis is inflammation of the skin layer in the stomach.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Gastric acid reflux or GERD is a condition when stomach acid rises into the esophagus. As a result, causing irritation, pain to a burning sensation (heartburn) on the gut, chest, and esophagus.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a digestive disorder that affects the work of the large intestine. This results in less than optimal muscle contractions in the large intestine, leading to diarrhea and constipation.
• Gastric ulcer. Gastric ulcers indicate a cut or small hole in the stomach wall, it could be due to the gastritis getting worse.
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). When the pancreas becomes inflamed, it causes infection, tissue damage, and bleeding in the gland.
• Stomach cancer or stomach cancer. Stomach cancer occurs when tumors or malignant cancer cells appear on the stomach wall.

All the diseases that attack the digestive system, do not rule out being the cause of ulcers. So, ulcers will appear as a symptom of these various digestive disorders.

2. Bacterial infection

Bacterial infectionHelicobacter pylori is one of the causes of indigestion, which may trigger ulcer symptoms. These bacteria usually attack the lining of the stomach, causing pain.

H. pylori bacteria are generally passed from one person to another. However, it can also be transmitted from food or drinks that are not sterile.

These bacteria can be one of the many causes of ulcers because they cause gastritis, aka inflammation of the stomach.

3. Autoimmune disease

Although relatively rare, autoimmune diseases can also cause ulcers. Autoimmune diseases occur when your immune system attacks the healthy cells in your body instead of fighting off foreign substances that cause disease.

Well, this autoimmune reaction can be the cause of an ulcer that is initiated by gastritis, aka inflammation of the stomach. In this case, the immune system instead attacks the lining of the stomach wall which is healthy and not problematic.

As a result, the cells that make up the lining of the stomach wall are damaged, one of which is the parietal cells. In fact, parietal cells are supposed to play a role in the process of absorption of vitamin B12.

Indirectly, this autoimmune disease causes interference with the absorption of vitamin B12 in the body. You are at risk of developing anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency, known as pernicious anemia.

4. Stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety do not directly act as causes of ulcers. However, this condition can affect the health of the body, which in turn will worsen complaints related to indigestion.

Because stress, anxiety, and body health, especially digestive problems, are related to each other, the healing process is no different. Usually, stress and anxiety go away as soon as you recover from indigestion.

Likewise, complaints of ulcers and other digestive disorders can also gradually heal, when stress and anxiety improve.

5. Side effects of certain drugs

Medicines are believed to be effective in relieving pain in the body. However, without realizing it, several types of drugs can be the main cause of ulcer complaints.

For example, taking pain relievers or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn). The reason is, this type of medicine has the risk of thinning the walls of the stomach lining, making it prone to irritation.

Not only that, too frequent consumption of these drugs has been linked to causing ulcers, because it causes a burning feeling in the chest (heartburn).

The muscles in the lower part of the sphringer or valve of the esophagus (esophagus) can weaken, causing further irritation of the esophagus. That is why, using these drugs in people who already have certain digestive disorders, for example GERD, can worsen symptoms.

Meanwhile, if you have not or have never experienced complaints related to indigestion, these drugs can be the initial cause, leading to ulcers.

Several other types of drugs that have the potential to cause ulcers, include:

• Estrogens and oral contraceptives
• Steroid drugs
• Certain types of antibiotics
• Thyroid disease medication
• Medicines that contain nitrates in them, usually to treat hypertension

Therefore, it is important to consult with your doctor before taking certain types of drugs. Make sure you share any medical conditions that you have or have experienced before.

If the use of these drugs is the cause of ulcers and the symptoms are quite disturbing, ask the doctor to change the medication.

Bad habits cause ulcers

Apart from medical problems, ulcers can also be triggered by unhealthy habits. The following are habits that can stimulate the production of stomach acid so that it causes ulcers, including:

1. Lie down immediately after eating

Have you ever heard the suggestion not to go to sleep or lie down after eating? This suggestion turns out to be true. The reason is, food takes time and a process to get into the digestive system.

If you force sleep immediately or lie down after eating, this can trigger food and acid from the stomach to rise back up. Finally, you may feel nauseous or bloated.

So that this habit doesn't cause ulcers, give a break of about 2-3 hours after eating if you want to sleep. In addition, make it a habit not to eat close to bedtime to avoid the possibility of ulcers.

2. Eating too much

During this time, you may often be advised to eat in moderation. In a sense, neither less nor too much. Why?

Eating too many portions can risk increasing stomach acid, which then causes ulcers.

This condition can be the cause of the ulcer to get worse, especially if you lie down or sleep right after eating. This action triggers the increase in stomach acid back into the esophagus.

That is why, try to eat in moderation or a little, but with a frequency that is more frequent in a day. In addition, avoid lying down and sleeping immediately after eating.

3. Drinking alcohol excessively

Drinking alcohol too often or too much is generally associated with various health risks. One of them is the cause of ulcers.

This is because alcoholic drinks can irritate and erode the lining of your stomach a little at a time. As a result, the digestive system becomes more susceptible to the side effects of increased stomach acid production.

This condition often leads to indigestion in the form of gastritis or inflammation of the stomach, which later causes ulcer symptoms.

4. Smoking

Smoking can raise stomach acid. No wonder the cigarette that you smoke every day can cause ulcers to recur easily, but unfortunately it is rarely realized.

You see, smoking can reduce the amount of saliva production which will automatically increase stomach acid production. Smoking also over time can loosen the strength of the sphincter muscles in the lower part of the esophagus.

When the muscles at the bottom of the esophagus weaken, stomach acid can easily travel up into the chest and reach the esophagus. As a result, you will complain of a burning sensation in the chest (heartburn).

In addition, smoking can also slow down the emptying time of the stomach which can trigger an increase in stomach acid as a cause of ulcers.

On that basis, if you are an active smoker, reducing or even quitting smoking can at least help reduce ulcer symptoms and the risk of developing stomach acid.

5. Eat certain foods and drinks

When ulcer symptoms appear, try to pay attention to the foods you are consuming frequently lately. This is because certain types of food can actually be the cause of the appearance of ulcer symptoms and various other complaints of discomfort.

Spicy, fried, and fatty foods are foods that have the potential to cause ulcers. All of these foods can stimulate an increase in acid production in the stomach.

Coupled with the effect of fatty foods that can make the body feel fuller for longer. On the one hand it is good, but for those of you who are prone to indigestion as a cause of ulcers, this should be avoided.

Because excessive fat intake can slow down the digestion of food. Automatically, the emptying time in the stomach is also longer than it should be.

This condition will cause pain in the chest like burning (heartburn) over time. The flow of stomach acid can also go up into the esophagus, because the muscles in the lower esophageal valve are weakened.

Not only spicy, fried, and fatty foods that cause ulcers, you should also reduce or avoid the following types of food if you don't want the ulcer to get worse, namely:

• Foods that are processed with black pepper
• Salty food
• Acidic fruit, such as tomatoes, oranges, limes, and others

Not only food causes ulcers, several types of drinks too. Apart from alcohol, other types of drinks such as carbonated, carbonated, to caffeinated drinks such as chocolate and coffee are included in the list of foods that trigger acid reflux.

If consumption of food or drink is accompanied by smoking, your chances of developing an ulcer will be even greater.

It is important to know the cause of an ulcer so that it can be addressed more precisely

The causes and triggers of ulcers are very diverse, of course you need to find out. The reason is, treatment tailored to the underlying cause will be more effective in treating ulcer symptoms that appear.

For example, an ulcer symptom that arises due to H. pylori bacterial infection is of course the solution. Antibiotics can reduce the number of bacteria, so that the infection does not get worse.

It's different again, if the symptoms of an ulcer are caused by the use of certain drugs. So, the treatment is to replace the drug with other safer drugs as well as taking medication to relieve ulcer symptoms.

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