Ulcer Treatment

When we talk about ulcers, we generally make a reference to peptic ulcers. These are open sores or can be called lesions, which make their occurrence inside different parts of the body. And according to the area that is affected, these ulcers are attributed by different names. Now, ulcers which are found to develop inside the lining of the stomach are known as stomach or gastric ulcers. The ones which affect the upper small intestines are known as duodenal ulcers. Apart from these two kinds, there are some ulcers which grow in the esophagus. They are known as esophageal ulcers.

Ulcer Symptoms
The symptoms which occur are common for all the types of peptic ulcers. It is common for people suffering from this condition to feel a burning pain which can be sensed flaring up in between the navel and the breastbone. Patients also complain that the pain tends to last from a few minutes to several hours, and worsen when the stomach is empty. Another symptom which may make it certain that a person is suffering from a case of peptic ulcer is when the burning subsides by eating certain foods or acid-reducing drugs. Another nature of this pain is that it somehow seems to aggravate at night, and disappear before returning for a few days or weeks. All these symptoms may be mild by nature, but less often, ulcers are known to give rise to severe signs and symptoms. These include black or tarry stools, vomiting, changes in appetite, unintended weight loss and vomiting blood.

Treating Peptic Ulcer
Treatment here mainly involves eradicating the causal pathogen of the condition which is the H. pylori bacteria, and to keep a check on the level of acid in the digestive system. These two purposes may require the use of two or more types of medications.

The first group of medications which are used to deal with the pathogen are a combination of antibiotics. Medications which are commonly prescribed for treating duodenal, esophageal and stomach ulcer include amoxicillin, (Amoxil), clarithromycin (Biaxin) and metronidazole (Flagyl). The number of the bacteria present in the body, generally decides the duration for which the patient has to take the antibiotics.

The next class of medications which are prescribed for managing ulcers are known as acid blockers. These are used to block the production of acid in the digestive system. In this way, patients experience great relief from the burning pain. These drugs include ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet) and nizatidine (Axid).

Antacids work somewhat similar to acid blockers. They do not block the production of acid, but neutralize whatever amount of acid is present in the digestive system. You may have heard about proton pump inhibitors. The function of these medications is to shut down the mechanism which produces stomach acid. Available both as prescription and over-the-counter, the common ones include (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Aciphex) and esomeprazole (Nexium).

Setting up a protection for the tissues the line the stomach and small intestines, is also involved in ulcer treatment. For this, doctors use what is known as cytoprotective agents. Common prescription drugs are sucralfate (Carafate) and misoprostol (Cytotec). The bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is a non-prescription one.

Mouth ulcers, also known as canker sores, are different peptic ulcers. For treating these ulcers you can make use of mouth rinses, over-the-counter topical pastes and oral medications. Even nutritional supplements hasten the recovery.

Treating Ulcers At Home
Apart from all these medications, the symptoms of ulcers can also be managed using a few simple home remedies. They are as follows:

• Banana milk shake helps in soothing the burning pain.
• Goat's milk in raw form also helps in healing the ulcers
• Drinking almond milk provides a great deal of help in managing the symptoms
• A cup of yogurt or cold milk also helps
• Avoid foods which are not spicy or fatty

The home remedies which I have cited above for the treatment of peptic ulcer are good to deal with the symptoms, but they may not be effective enough to eliminate the causal bacteria of the condition. So once you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, you can go for OTC medications. However, you may not be sure what nature your condition is of. So to be on the safer side, seek your doctor's advice to deal with the problem.