What Is Meant By Ulcers?

Ulcers are wounds, bruises or breakages in the skin or tissues of the body.  Normally people get ulcers at different periods in their lives, depending on what type of ulcer have they gotten.

The least serious ulcers are mouth ulcers.  The usual reasons for mouth ulcers are due to some minor oral infection or because of using the wrong kind of diet.  Such ulcers are termed as benign ulcers- meaning that these are harmless ulcers, which would not cause any major damage.  Sometimes people who have varicose veins get ulcers on their legs.  This happens due to the extremely slow circulation of blood in the skin.  If the ulcers stay on any part of the day for more than a month, there is a very strong speculation that the ulcer is cancerous.  Such ulcers are termed as malignant ulcers and generally have hard edges to them.  They can mark the outset of peril if there is a delay in their discovery.  The worst and most harmful ulcers grow in the rectum.  They become the cause of pain, constipation and even bleeding and are extremely difficult to remove if left for long in the rectum.

In my health book here, there are several kinds. A peptic ulcer is a sore or crater in the lining of the digestive tract. Most ulcers develop in the stomach (gastric ulcers) or in the upper part of the small intestine (duodenal ulcers). Symptoms may include a burning or gnawing pain between the navel and the breastbone. The pain often occurs between meals and may wake you during the night.
Eating something or taking an antacid usually relieves the pain. Ulcers may also cause bloating, nausea, or vomiting after meals. They can cause bleeding in the stomach and small intestine, which may cause stools to appear dark red, black, or tarry. Without treatment, they may sometimes cause a blockage between the stomach and the small intestine, and can cause a perforation in the wall of the stomach causing severe abdominal pain and a rigid  abdomen. This requires immediate medical treatment.
   Home treatment; Avoid spicy or greasy food.  Avoid coffee, tea, cola, and other products the contain caffeine.  Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Stop smoking (this slows healing and increases the chance that they will return.) Limit alcohol (large contributor) Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium. Take antacids as recommended, and finally learn to relax and manage stress. (stress slows healing. Hope this helps, good luck.