What Causes Stomach Ulcers.

There has been a radical change in the belief of what causes peptic ulcer. Until a few years ago,  the  factors   which were believed to be causes of peptic ulcer are today not enumerated as causes, but as aggravating factors.

Ulcer Causes|H. Pylori.

Today, it is firmly believed that the cause of peptic ulcer is the infection in the stomach and the duodenum caused  by  a bacteria called Helicobacter Pylori (H Pylori, in short).  Pylori, incidentally comes from the word   “pylorus” which is the name given to the sphincter which is present between the stomach and the duodenum. More than 50% of the world’s population is infected with H. pylori.

How H. Pylori causes Ulcer:

H. pylori enters the  stomach  through the oral route . Once the bacteria  has  entered the stomach, it starts burroughing   through the inner lining of the stomach to escape the acidic medium. Its spiral form helps it in this process.

Once it reaches the mucous lining, it parks itself there as it finds the neural medium comfortable. This burroughing   and  the  acidic corrosive action of the digestive juices on the  now  burroughed lining give rise to  an ulcer.

Esophageal ulcer is caused by the reflux of the acidic contents   from the stomach into the esophagus. The causative factor is of course the H. Pylori.  This happens in Gastro esophageal reflux disease ( GERD, in short).

However, all people infected with H. Pylori do not develop an ulcer. Why this is so, is not yet known.. It probably depends on the individual’s habits, his  resistance  and  his exposure to the predisposing factors. There are still   uncertainties, which have yet to be discovered.

Picture of H. pylori at work in the stomach

The Predisposing and Aggravating  factors of Ulcers.

1.     Certain medicines:

Non steroid anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)    like aspirin, Ibuprofen and naproxen are known to interfere with the functioning of Prostaglandins which help in resisting the corrosive action of the  acidic digestive juices. NSAIDs directly contribute to ulcer formation. Steroids , too are potential contributors to the formation of an ukcer.

2.     Smoking

Smoking contributes by delaying the healing of an existing ulcer.

3.     Alcohol:

There is no connection found with alcohol directly contributing to the formation of an ulcer. However, it aggravates an existing ulcer  by  its irritating action as is evident by the fact that an ulcer pain  increases after a bout of alcohol.

4. Spicy foods:

After a meal of spicy food, ulcer pain is aggravated.

5.Caffeine 

Caffeine which   is present in tea and coffee is known to stimulate the acidic secretion and aggravate an existing ulcer.

6.     Mental stress

Mental stress and tension is also known to increase the acidic secretion in the  stomach  and  ulcer patients often complain of pain during times of  mental  stress.

It is therefore H. Pylori which is the cause of ulcer, which gets aggravated due to certain factors mentioned above.

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