Can stomach ulcers be cured completely?

This is an automatically translated article.

1. What is peptic ulcer disease?

Stomach ulcer is a condition in which the lining of the stomach is damaged, causing inflammation, swelling, and for a long time, ulcers will form in the stomach lining and cause uncomfortable symptoms for the patient.
Gastritis is divided into 2 types, acute and chronic:
Acute gastritis: Manifestations of the disease include swelling, acute inflammation in the lining of the stomach, patients have upper abdominal pain. severe taste, brief episodes of pain; Chronic gastritis: Caused by an excess of stomach acid and infection, resulting in diffuse or localized lesions of an area of ​​the gastric mucosa. This condition can lead to atrophic mucosal inflammation and eventual destruction of the gastric structure.

2. Causes of stomach ulcers

2.1. Helicobacter pylori bacteria
How long to treat stomach ulcers depends mainly on the cause of the disease. Among them, the leading cause of stomach ulcers is infection with H.P. bacteria, a bacteria that lives in the lining of the stomach. Under normal conditions, H.P. bacteria live peacefully with the body, without causing any problems. However, when they are overgrown, the increased activity will secrete substances that stimulate an inflammatory response of the mucosa and cause gastric ulcers.

2.2. Diet

Some wrong habits in the diet create favorable conditions for stomach ulcers such as:
Eating at the wrong time, often skipping meals; Habit of eating at night, eating quickly and chewing poorly; Eat while working; Consume a lot of processed foods, packaged foods; Eating foods that are too spicy, hot or too acidic; A diet lacking in protein and vitamins...

2.3. Using anti-inflammatory drugs, reducing pain in the wrong way

Gastric ulcer is a common disease in elderly patients, who regularly use anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids to treat degenerative diseases, osteoarthritis pain.

2.4. Stress, prolonged stress

Cases of prolonged stress, excessive stress or anxiety are more prone to stomach ulcers than the average person. Stress affects the body's immune system, thereby negatively affecting the digestive system and at the same time increasing the risk of H.P. bacteria attacking the stomach lining.

2.5. Using alcohol or stimulants

Habit of regularly using alcohol in large quantities irritates the stomach lining. This condition entails an inflammatory response and increases the risk of developing mucosal ulcers. Besides, people who have had stomach ulcers and still use alcohol or stimulants, the ability to cure the disease will be very difficult.

2.6. Genetic factors

Stomach ulcers can be hereditary. Therefore, in the family who has a stomach ulcer, there is a very high risk that their relatives will also have this disease.

3. Symptoms of stomach ulcers

3.1. Abdominal pain in epigastrium

Burning sensation in the epigastrium can be considered a relatively specific sign of peptic ulcer disease. At the same time, this is considered the earliest sign that the patient can easily recognize. The severity of epigastric pain varies from person to person, and the pain can appear at any time, even while the patient is sleeping.

3.2. Nausea, vomiting

The ulcers on the stomach lining both cause pain and stimulate the stomach to contract more strongly, from which the patient always has a feeling of nausea and even intense vomiting due to impaired stomach function.

3.3. Anorexia, decreased appetite

Stomach ulcer is a disease that makes sufferers always feel tired, bitter taste in the mouth, even reduce taste and make them not want, no appetite. These signs are not specific for peptic ulcer, but almost all patients have them.

3.4. Digestive disorders

Stomach ulcers can cause constipation or diarrhea. This sign suggests their digestive function is disordered.

3.5. Insomnia, sudden weight loss

Diseases related to the digestive system can cause patients to lose weight quickly. The reason for this situation is also simple because the body's ability to absorb nutrients is reduced. Another factor that causes patients to lose weight is fatigue and prolonged insomnia.

4. Diagnosis of gastric ulcer disease

4.1. Diagnostic endoscopy

Endoscopy is the most used subclinical method because of its ability to make the most accurate diagnosis. Images from the gastroscopy process help the doctor clearly see the condition of the mucosa and the location of the ulcers. Gastric ulcers can be cured on their own or need to apply aggressive treatment measures will be predicted by the doctor through the results of the endoscopy. Simple mucosal ulcers usually respond well to medical therapy, but complex, convex, fibrous ulcers need to be biopsied during endoscopy for early diagnosis of gastric cancer.

4.2. Blood and stool tests

The results of blood and stool tests help the doctor assess the condition of stomach ulcers, detect complications if any (such as gastrointestinal bleeding), measure the concentration of digestive enzymes in the stomach and develop whether red blood cells are present in the stool.

5. How long to treat stomach ulcers?

Does gastric ulcer require surgery is a question asked by many patients. Depending on the extent of the ulcer, symptoms and accompanying complications, the doctor will take appropriate treatment measures.

5.1. Internally medical treatment

How long to treat stomach ulcers, fast or slow to heal will depend on whether the patient adheres to changes in diet and living habits. In addition, medical treatment with drugs will support the healing process faster.
Western medicine: Medicines to treat stomach ulcers include antibiotics, proton inhibitors, H2 receptor blockers and symptomatic relief drugs such as acid neutralization and mucosal protection; Traditional Chinese Medicine: Products to treat stomach ulcers are often derived from natural herbs, so they are quite benign. The advantage is less side effects, can be used for a long time and the ability to heal ulcers is higher. However, the disadvantage of Oriental medicine is that it works slowly and cannot completely destroy H.P.

5.2. Surgical treatment

Does gastric ulcer require surgery? The answer is yes, but the indication for surgery is only for cases of ineffective drug treatment, combined with additional complications: gastrointestinal bleeding, gastric perforation ...
In short, inflammatory pathology Stomach ulcers are completely curable with proper treatment. Therefore, the patient should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment according to the doctor's instructions. Symptoms of chronic peptic ulcer disease usually resolve within a few hours of taking the drug. However, symptom relief is only temporary. Patients need to persevere in the treatment of chronic gastritis according to the doctor's instructions.
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