Ulcer is a gastrointestinal disorder manifested through abdominal discomfort, sourness or pain. Ulcer involves inflammation or lesions at different points of the gastrointestinal tract and can even affect adjacent organs. Although most forms of ulcer are easy to treat, the severe forms of the disorder sometimes don’t respond to oral medical treatment, requiring surgical interventions. If mistreated, complications such as perforate ulcer and bleeding ulcer may sometimes cause the death of the patient.
It is very important to prevent digestive disorders like ulcer from occurring in the first place. Ulcer is caused by the bacteria called Helicobacter pylori and by excessive internal secretions of gastric acid and pepsin. These factors are mostly responsible for the development of ulcer, although other factors also contribute to the disorder (the abuse of alcohol, smoking and caffeine).
There are a lot of myths surrounding the aspects of ulcer and most of them are contradicted by research findings and statistics. Probably the most popular myth regarding ulcer sustains that people’s personalities influence whether they acquire ulcer or not. There is no proof that personality plays a role in determining the development of the disorder and there seems to be no link between emotions and ulcer. On the other hand, people that develop different forms of ulcer may present physical predispositions towards acquiring the disorder. Also, ulcer can be inherited from past generations, as it is thought to have a pronounced hereditary character. Beliefs that emotional distress may facilitate the development of ulcer are still debatable. Although people who have healthy lifestyles and are exposed to small amounts of stress may also develop forms of ulcer, in some cases, emotional distress seems to contribute to the disorder.
In the past it was thought that certain foods or diets were solely responsible for the development of digestive disorders like ulcer. Although there is a fact that caffeine, milk, alcohol and some teas increase the secretion of gastric acid, other beverages or foods don’t seem to affect ulcer. However, some beverages that are thought to ease the symptoms of ulcer may actually increase the internal discomfort. Milk and teas may temporarily ease the sourness of ulcer, but they also increase the secretion of gastric acid and therefore should be avoided.
A misconception about ulcer presents the idea that only men are affected by duodenal ulcer. Duodenal ulcer, just like other forms of the disorder, affects both sexes, regardless of age. Although in the past men were affected by duodenal ulcer more than the opposite sex, these days both men and women seem to be equally affected by ulcer.
Another myth about ulcer sustains that once a person with ulcer starts to feel better, it is a sign that the ulcer is cured. Although some milder forms of ulcer heal quicker than others, an ulcer takes around two months to heal. It is true that patients receiving medical treatment might notice improvements in their condition a lot sooner, but this doesn’t mean that they have fully overcome the disorder.