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Stomach Ulcers

STOMACH ULCER: IS IT OR IS IT NOT CAUSED BY THE ULCER BUG?

I see more and more patients suffering from indigestion, who were told they had a Helicobacter pylori infection, took antibiotics for months after which not only did they still suffer from indigestion but they also had all sorts of trouble from taking so many antibiotics.

So, how common and real is the H. pylori infection? Well, for every person with a stomach ulcer caused by H. pylori , there are plenty of others who just have dyspepsia, discomfort and feelings of indigestion and bloating in the upper abdomen after they have eaten, or between meals. Some doctors have been prescribing H. pylori medication for non-ulcer dyspepsia, in the hope that this will help, but it hasn't.

Why Is It So?

The little blighter Helicobacter pylori is actually very common. Most humans in the world carry it around in their gut. Blasting it with antibiotics helps some people when there is an ulcer in the stomach or the duodenum. In these cases and these cases only can the heavy antibiotic therapy help.

How Do I Know If I Have an Ulcer?

If you have ulcer warning signs, or a predisposition for ulcers (like pain on an empty stomach, smoking, and an ulcer in the past) and your doctor thinks your symptoms make an ulcer a high probability, then further testing will be carried to confirm the ulcer and the presence of an increased count of H. pylori. Otherwise you will be wasting a lot of money on the test for no results.

What If It Is Helicobacter pylori?

If it is H. pylori and you choose to go the antibiotic way, you should still go on a good diet (see below) and make sure you take plenty of probiotics such as acidophilus and bifidus to replace all the good bugs the antibiotics are going to kill in your lower gut. The best one to get is INNER HEALTH .

What If It Isn't?

Aha! That's where the Naturopath comes in.

In order to give your stomach a chance to repair itself you need to first of all stop all the things that aggravate it:

AVOID:

• Alcohol.
• Coffee.
• Cigarettes.
• Too much sugar: lollies, chocolate, cakes, jams (yes that includes the “sugar free” jams)
• White bread, white flour and white pasta
• Smallgoods: things like salami, devon, ham, bacon because they have preservatives in them which contain sulphur which is very irritating to the stomach.
• Dried fruit: because they also contain sulphur. The sun-dried variety tend to have too much mould on them and this is bad for the stomach also.
• Cold drinks and carbonated drinks: they break down the chemicals in your stomach that are necessary for digestion. Drinking too much water will do the same thing.

Natural Ways to Help Your Stomach

I know, I know, you hate me again! Now here is what you should have to help your stomach:

Cooked breakfasts: because they stimulate digestion –and as a bonus, you will have more energy.

Eat lots of veges but it is better to have them slightly cooked as in stir fries, steamed or in soups. Raw veges are actually hard to digest for people who have digestive problems. Dark green leafy vegetables such as chicory, endive, spinach and silver beet are really good. The darker, the better.

You CAN and should use herbs and spices because they too stimulate digestion. Chilli might feel hot (you don't need the “burn your face hot”) to your tongue but they actually are stimulating to the digestion.

Of course onions and garlic are natural antibiotics and they will control bacterial overgrowth in your stomach.

The humble nasturtium, which grows easily in any garden, is also a natural antibiotic and you should add both the flowers and the leaves to your salads and soups.

Vitamins Anyone?

As one could have guessed the best vitamins to repair a sensitive stomach are the simplest ones: vitamin C: taken in powder form: 1/4 of a teaspoon twice a day after food and vitamin A in the form of cod liver oil capsules: 5,000 i.u also after food twice a day.

The Best Herbs

Once you get over the shock of having seriously cut down (or if you are very bad: cut out) coffee, enjoy those wonderful teas, which are great for the digestion:

Peppermint, dill, aniseed, thyme, green tea, chamomile.

Many people think that chamomile is for nervous problems but in fact it is the most soothing herb for the stomach.

And Let's Not Forget:

A lot of problems that feel like ulcers and could be ulcers in the making are caused by stress and anxiety. Of course there are no miracles to take away the things that bother you but it is good practice to spend some time every day relaxing completely away from noise and bother in order to calm the mind and relax the gut. And remember always make an effort to eat in quiet surroundings if you can and don't bolt your food!

To find out more about you digestive system and learn how to help yourself, check out Elyane's book: "Natural Recovery" 

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