How Can I Prevent Ulcers?

• Avoid foods that irritate your stomach. Use common sense: If it upsets your stomach when you eat it, avoid it. Everyone is different, but spicy foods and fatty foods are common irritants.
• Stop smoking. Heavy smokers are more likely to develop duodenal ulcers than nonsmokers.
• Practice moderation. Heavy consumption of alcohol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS including aspirin and ibuprofen) has been shown to contribute to the development of ulcers, so keep your intake to a minimum. 
• Learn how to control your stress levels. Regular exercise and mind-body relaxation techniques (such as guided imagery and yoga or tai chi) are often helpful.
• 
  

  What Are the Treatments for an Ulcer?

  Medications are usually used to treat mild-to-moderate ulcers. If the cause is bacterial, antibiotics can cure the ulcer. For recurrent, severe cases that do not respond to medication, surgery may be necessary.
  Although alternative therapies have been shown to aid in the relief of symptoms, they should be used only as supplements to conventional treatment.
  You should not treat an ulcer on your own without first seeing your doctor. Over-the-counter antacids and acid blockers may relieve some or all of the pain, but the relief is always short-lived. With a doctor's help, you can find relief from the ulcer pain, as well as a lifelong cure from the disease. Proton-pump inhibitor drugs such as Prilosec are the most cost-effective treatment options for peptic ulcers.
  The chief goals of treatment are reducing the amount of acid in the stomach, strengthening the protective linings that come in direct contact with gastric acids, and -- if your ulcer is caused by bacterial infection -- treating the H. pylori infection with medication. Your doctor will likely prescribe a combination of antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or tetracycline with metronidazole, along with Pepto-Bismol, proton-pump inhibitors, and/or histamine H2 blockers, all to be taken for 10-14 days.
  If these treatments are unsuccessful, or if you have developed serious complications as a result of your ulcer, surgery may be necessary. If your ulcer is hemorrhaging, the surgeon will identify the source of the bleeding (usually a small artery at the base of the ulcer) and repair it. Perforated ulcers -- holes in the entire stomach or duodenal wall -- must be surgically closed. This is an emergency procedure.
  In some cases, a surgery to decrease stomach acid secretion may be necessary. However, peptic ulcer surgery is done only in emergency situations, because there are many potential complications associated with the procedure, including ulcer recurrence, liver complications, and ''dumping syndrome,'' which causes chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and/or sweating after eating.

Understanding Ulcer Treatment

Tips for Living With Ulcers

• If you have an ulcer, be cautious when choosing over-the-counter pain relievers. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen may not only irritate the ulcer but also prevent a bleeding ulcer from healing. Avoid powdered headache powders, which are usually powdered aspirin. Your best choice may be acetaminophen (Tylenol, for example), which does not cause or promote stomach ulcers.
• Don't overdose on iron supplements. Although people with bleeding ulcers can develop anemia and may need to take iron as a treatment, taking too much can irritate the stomach lining and the ulcer. Ask your doctor how much iron you need.
• Learn how to deal with stress. While there is no evidence that stress causes ulcers, it can exacerbate existing ones. Practicing relaxation techniques -- including deep breathing, guided imagery, and moderate exercise -- can help alleviate stress.