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8B Wednesday, 0CL19, 2011
Bulletin, Progressive, Record, Reportdr
Would you knc l .if you L!00ad' an ulcer?
I-IERE'S TO
YOUR HEALTH
AURA WHITTAKER
An ulcer is a sore, which
means it's an open, painful
wound. Peptic ulcers are
ulcers ,that form in the
stomach or the upper part of
the small intestine, called the
duodenum (pronounced:
doo-uh-dee-num). Peptic
ulcers are actually very com-
mon. For almost 100 yes,
doctors believed stress, spicy
foods and alcohol to be the
cause of most' ulcers. Now i t is
known that most peptic ulcers
are caused by a particular bac-
terial infection in the stomach
• and upper intestine, by cer-
tain medications, by smoking,
by drinking too much alcohol
and/or soda, or a combination
of all these things.
In 1982, two doctors, Barry
Marshall and Robin Warren,
discovered a certain kind of
bacteria that can live and
grow in the stomach. Both
doctors went on to win the No-
bel Prize for their discovery.
The medical name for these
bacteria is Helicobacter py!ori
(or H. pylori, for short). Today
experts believe 90 percent of
all people with ulcers are in-
fected with H. pylori. But
strangely enough, most people
infected with H. pylori don't
develop an ulcer; Doctors
aren't completely sure why
but think it may partly depend
on the individual-- for exam-
ple, those who develop ulcers
may already have a problem
with the lining of their
stomachs or smoke cigarettes.
It's also thought some
people may naturally secrete
more stomach acid than
others and it, doesn't matter
what stresses they're exposed
to or what foods they eat.
Peptic ulcers may have some-
thing to do with the combina-
tion OfH. pylori infection and
the level of acid in the stomach.
When H. pylori bacteria do
cause ulcers, bacteria weaken
the protective coating'of the
stomach and upper small
intestine. Acid in the stomach
then gets through to the
sensitive tissues lining the
Smoking also is associated
with peptic ulcers. Smoking.
increases a person's risk of
getting an ulcer because the
nicotine in cigarettes causes
the stomach to produce more
acid. Drinking a lot of alcohol
and/or soda each day can also
increase a person's risk of
ulcers because, over time,
alcohol and soda can wear
down the linings of the
stomach and intestines.
In certain circumstances
stress can cause ulcers as
• well. But, this usually only
happens when illness involv-
ing severe emotional or
physical stress is involved --
such as when someone is too
sick to eat for a long period'of
time. Ulcers occur because of
uncontrolled increased acid
production in the stomach
and changes in the immune
system (the body system that
fights infection).
With any illness where the
body's ability to heal is chal-
lenged, such as when someone
has serious burns from a fire,
there is a risk for developing
ulcers.
Stomach pain is the most
common symptom of an ulcer.
It usually feels like sharp
aches between the breastbone
and the belly button. This
pain often comes afew hours
after eating. It can also
happen duringjhe night or
early in the morning, when
the stomach is empty, Eating
something or taking an
antacid medication sometimes
makes the pain go away for a
while.
Other symptoms of ulcers
can include loss of appetite;
sudden, sharp stomach pains;
nausea; frequent burping or
hiccupping;, weight loss;
vomiting (if blood is in the
vomit or the vomit looks like
coffee grounds, which only
happens with severe ulcers,
call a doctor right away); and
bloody or blackish bowel
movements (this could indi-
bowel movement or a person's
breath can also be specially
tested to check for the H.
pylori bacteria. Ulcers caused
by H. pylori bacteria are gen-
erally treated with a combina-
tion of antibiotics and antacids.
Doctors are not totally
certain how H. pylori bacteria
cate a serious problem, so call are transmitted from person
a doctor right away), to person. The bacteria have
Anyone who thinks he or been found in saliva so kissing
• she may have an ulcer needs may be one way. They also
to see a doctor as soon as may be spread through food,
possible. Over time, untreated water or contact with vomit
ulcers grow larger and deeper that has been infected with
and can lead to other prob-
lems, such as bleeding in the
digestive system or a hole in
the wall of the stomach or
duodenum, which can make
you very sick,
A doctor can do a blood test
for H. pylori bacteria right
in their office. Sometimes a
the bacteria. The best advice
in ulcer prevention is to
. always wash your hands after
using the bathroom and be-
fore you eat, and to take good
care of your body by exercis-
ing regularly, not smoking or
drinking and avoiding stress
as much as possible.
digestive system underneath.
Acid and bacteria directly
irritate this lining resulting in
sores, or ulcers,
Although H. pylori are re-
sponsible for most cases of
peptic ulcers, they can happen
for other reasons, too. Some
people regularly take pain re-
lievers known as nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAlDs) such as aspirin or
ibuprofen, which fight inflam-
mation in the body and are
used to treat long-term painful
conditions like arthritis. If
taken in high daily doses over
a long period of time, NSAIDs
can cause ulcers in some
people.
I
I
I
I
POEM OF THE WEEK
American Life in Poetry
Ted Kooser
U.S. Poet Laureate, 2004 - 06
Here's a poem of mixed
feelings by Don Thompson
to help us launch October.
Thompson lives in Button-
willow, Calif, which
sounds like the name of a
town in a children's story,
don't you think?
October
I used to think the land
had something to say to us,
back when wildflowers
would + come right up to your hand
as if they were tame.
Sooner or later, I thought,
the wind would begin to make sense if I,
listened hard
and took notes religiously.
That was spring.
Now I'm not so sure:
the cloudless sky has a flat affect
and the fields plowed down after harvest
seem so expressionless,
keeping their own counsel.
This afternoon, nut tree leaves
blow across them
as if autumn had written us a long letter,
changed its mind,
and tore it int o little scraps,
--Don Thompson
i
We set the
HALLOWEEN PARTY THEME...
Dress to Kill
Interpret it how you will
Oct. 29 • Noon - 8pro
Then we get really spooky with the
CottonPiekers Band
,.. ' (starts 3t 9pro- 21+ 0nty)
vl.O Freala,
www.pangaeapub.com • 461 W. Main St.. Quincy • 530-283-0426
231 Main
Quincy
283-561.9
151;h annual HBI'VOSt; I:OStiVBI.
Join us for a carnival.style event at
Lake Almanor Community Church
Monday, October 31 st
from Spm - 8pm.
It's a family-friendly event for ALL ages.
JWJ t010t
Admission: 1 Family-sized bag of candy per
family and I canned good per person for
our food pantry.
No scary 0r inappropr/ate costumes, p/ea..
tltllllll NIf A-13 / Lelm AIHINIR / Sl-Sll$61
www.laaMimmll
m
000000Barbercut?
Candy & Shelly
would like to
welcome men
of all ages
to come in for
a barber cut
Available Mon-Sat
Call
530.-.832-4567
for an appointment
" ] Wild HaiP00
pacific Down.
ve. tOWn
m Salon - kdber- Taaniag POnoa
ZN PI.MA COqTY