Ulcer is the medical term for an open wound. It is of several types, including pressure ulcers (depression or pressure ulcers) that affect the lower back or buttocks as a result of prolonged stretching in the same position. There is also a venous stasis ulcer that affects the leg or foot as a result of slowed blood flow. The most common type of ulcer, the type that people generally associate with the term “ulcer”, is the peptic ulcer. The peptic ulcer is formed in the inner lining of the stomach or small intestine. According to statistics, 5 to 10 percent of people develop ulcers at some point in their lives.

There are two types of peptic ulcers. The peptic ulcer that occurs in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, but if the ulcer formed in the small intestine, it takes the name of the intestinal part in which it was formed. The most common ulcer of the small intestine is the duodenal ulcer, which forms in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.

If left untreated, peptic ulcers can cause internal bleeding and may break into the lining of the stomach or small intestine, exposing the patient to serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity (peritonitis). The sores sometimes cause scar tissue that can block the passage of food through the digestive tract. Which causes weight loss.

Peptic ulcers cause several symptoms, the most prominent of which is necrotic pain in the upper abdomen between the navel and the breastbone. This pain caused by the passage of stomach acid on the ulcer may last for a few minutes or continue for hours, and the pain often worsens when the stomach is empty, so it worsens at night, and since food adjusts Acid, eating regularly often relieves pain temporarily, and because some people eat a lot, their weight increases as a result.

Other signs and symptoms of the condition include vomiting blood that comes out bright red or black, and blood mixed with stool that looks dark and tar-like. The sores can also cause pain in the middle of the back and weight loss.

In 1983, new advances were made in the understanding and treatment of peptic ulcers. Two Australian researchers found IUD-like bacteria in biopsy samples from people suffering from ulcers and persistent gastritis.

These bacteria, called Heliobacter pylori, live and multiply within the mucous layer that covers and protects the tissues of the lining of the stomach and small intestine. In most cases, these organisms do not cause little problems, but in some cases they eat digestive tissues, causing ulcers, and statistics indicate that about one person out of every six infected with this bacteria develops ulcers later, and one of the reasons is that these people have damaged the stomach lining. or the small intestine, making it easier for bacteria to sweep up damaged tissue (they are responsible for 50 percent or more of peptic ulcers)

The probability of harboring these bacteria increases with age, and the rate of infection is estimated at one percent with each year of age, which means that 20 percent catch the infection in their twenties and that 60 percent contract it in their sixties, according to Western statistics, and despite the lack of clarity on how it spreads, But it seems that it is transmitted from one person to another by direct contact. It is also believed that both nutritional and hygienic practices constitute conditions for the transmission of bacteria. Since scientists have found H. pylori bacteria in the water, it is likely that transmission is also through contaminated drinking water. Risk factors include:

@ Birth in a developing country.

@ Low level of social and economic life.

Living in a large family or in crowded conditions.

@ Having a baby at home.

@ Exposure to vomiting of an infected person.

It seems that the rate of new infections with H. pylori bacteria is declining due to the improvement of social, economic and health conditions and the widespread use of antibiotics in children. Treating certain conditions, such as ear infections and other common childhood illnesses with antibiotics, has done a dual role in preventing or treating Heliobacter pylori infection early in childhood.

Other causes of peptic ulcers include:

Regular use of pain relievers:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can lead to inflammation of the lining of the stomach and small intestine, and these drugs are available in both prescribed and nonprescription forms. And non-prescribed types include aspirin (Bayer. Bufferin), ibuprofen (Advil. Motrin. Nuprin), naproxen (Aleve) and ketoprofen (Orudis). To avoid any indigestion, it is recommended to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after meals.

Statistics indicate that about 20 percent of those who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs regularly develop ulcers later. This is because these drugs stimulate the secretion of an enzyme (cyclooxygenase) that produces a fatty acid called prostaglandin. These hormone-like substances help protect the stomach lining from chemical and physical wounds. Without this protection, the stomach lining is eroded by acid, which leads to bleeding and sores.

smoking:

The nicotine in tobacco increases the amount and concentration of stomach acid, which doubles the risk of ulcers, and smoking may slow ulcer healing during treatment.

Alcohol:

Alcohol can irritate and erode the lining of the stomach and intestines, causing them to inflame and bleed.