Natural Home Remedies for Acidity and Ulcers

Symptoms of Hyperacidity

The presence of the gastric juices help in digesting the food. If the hydrochloric acid present in the stomach increases in quantity, the condition is known as hyperacidity. It is this condition which gives rise to gastric (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach) and ulcers-gastric, peptic and duodenal. Almost all these disease present some difficulty in diagnosis because of confused symptoms, unless there is a bleeding ulcer. Generally, the symptoms of dyspepsia appear.

Symptoms of Ulcers

Ulcers were at one time supposed to be the diseases from which industrialists, politicians and intellectually active persons, beset with worries, suffered, but lately it has been detected among manual labourers too. Of the cause, the most important is dietetic indiscretion, like ingestion of heavy meals, addiction to alcohol and smoking. Food poisoning, infections like influenza, septicaemia and toxins like uremia and gout are the other causes of gastritis and ulcers. The mucous membrane of the stomach gets congested and too much of acid gives rise to wounds or ulcers. The size of the ulcer is from ¼ to 1 inch in diameter, and it is either round or of an oval form. It tends to penetrate through in the stomach.

The first symptoms of ulceration in the stomach include dizziness, nausea, eructation and loss of appetite. Acidity goes on increasing leading to a burning sensation or even pain in the stomach, which is relieved after ingestion of food. As the disease progresses there is distention of the stomach due to excessive flatulence, mental tension, insomnia, bad temper and gradual weakening of the body. Constipation also appears and sometimes the stools are tinged with blood.

Serious complications like haemorrhage, perforation and obstruction of the pylorus (the orifice through which food passes from the stomach to the intestine) also appear. Unless it is detected in time massive bleeding may lead to death. Traditional medicines has recourse to blood transfusions in an emergency but there is little else it can do for the patient.

In addition to dietetic indiscretions, habits of thought also play a vital role in cases of ulcers. Those given to excessive worry, anger, tension, jealousy and hurrying are more prone to suffer from ulcers.

Allopaths also prescribe bland food free from acidity and condiments for ulcer patients, but they generally forget the psychological aspects of the disease. They advise the ulcer patients alkaline diets or drugs containing alkali, but that is not anything more than a palliative.

Treatment

Ulcer patients should avoid spices and seasoned or fried foods. Nothing that is likely to augment the acidity of the stomach should be taken. Alcohol is, of course, the first thing which is forbidden. Milk, cream, butter, fruits and boiled vegetables are the best diet for an ulcer patient. The fruit recommended are banana, mangoes, muskmelon and dates. The regimen would progressively reduce the acidity in the stomach.

Those in an advanced state of disease should take only mil and fruits. Milk should be taken in moderate quantities-say about 250 to 300 millilitres-every hour. Leafy vegetables should be avoided in the beginning. The various types of gourds should be boiled without their rind because the rind is likely to create friction in the stomach. Flea-seed husk-10 to 15 grammes-should be taken with water or milk after every meal.

The ulcer patient must take one to one and a half litres of water during the day. He must bathe in cold water twice daily. Hip bath for to fifteen minutes and clay plastered over the lower abdomen for half an hour in the day can help the ulcers to heal. The hipbath or the mudpack should be taken on an empty stomach and should be followed by a walk. In case of constipation, daily enema should be administered.

Daily massage and deep breathing exercise also help. The patient must also try to get rid of his worries and stay cheerful. It has to be remembered that hyperacidity does not come up suddenly: it is a gradual development and its cure is also a gradual process. If the patient does not lose patience and continues the regimen suggested, he can get rid of his ailment.

Distension of Dilation

Associated with hyperacidity is another disease of the stomach: distention or dilation. It can occur with out giving rise to any symptoms. If food is retained for a long time in the stomach, it gives rise to fermentation. The condition is both painful and irritating. It also tells upon the general health of the sufferer.

Here too, the only hope is the naturopathic way of controlling your diet. The regimen suggested for ulcers and hyperacidity can help such patients to recover quickly.

By Dr John Anne

Learning About H Pylori and Peptic Ulcers

What is a peptic ulcer?

H. pylori bacteria can cause peptic ulcers-sores on the lining of the stomach or duodenum.

A sore on the lining of the stomach or small intestine is called a peptic ulcer. Less commonly, a ulcer may develop just above the stomach in the esophagus, the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.

In the stomach its called a gastric ulcer. If it occurs in the small intestine, it is a duodenal ulcer. People can have both gastric and duodenal ulcers at the same time. They also can develop peptic ulcers more than once in their lifetime.

Peptic ulcers are not rare. Each year in the United States, about half a million people develop the ulcer.11Ramakrishnan K, Salinas RC. Peptic ulcer disease. American Family Physician. 2007;76(7):1005-1012.

What are the causes?

A bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major cause of peptic ulcers. Aspirin and ibuprofen also cause ulcers. Rarely, cancerous or noncancerous tumors in the stomach, duodenum, or pancreas cause ulcers.

Ulcers are not caused by stress or eating spicy food, but both can make ulcer symptoms worse. Drinking and smoking can cause ulcers, too.

What is H. pylori?

H. pylori is a type of bacteria-a germ that may cause infection. H. pylori infection is common, particularly in developing countries, and often begins in childhood. Usually, symptoms only present themselves in adulthood.

H. pylori causes more than half of peptic ulcers worldwide.2 The bacterium causes peptic ulcers by damaging the mucous coating that protects the stomach and duodenum. There is damage to the stomach lining and this allows stomach acid to get to the sensitive lining. Together, the stomach acid and H. pylori irritate the lining of the stomach or duodenum and cause an ulcer.

Yet, most people infected with H. pylori never develop ulcers. No one knows why. Most likely, development of ulcers depends on characteristics of the infected person; the type, or strain, of H. pylori present; and factors researchers have yet to discover.

2Helicobacter pylori and peptic ulcer disease; economics of peptic ulcer disease and H. pylori infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Accessed February 23, 2009.

How is H. pylori spread?

Researchers are not certain how H. pylori is transmitted, although they think it may be spread through contaminated food or water. Bad food or water, not washed or purified properly, can have the bacteria.

The infection can spread from person to person. Studies suggest that having contact with the stool or vomit of an infected person can spread H. pylori infection. And H. pylori has been found in the saliva of some infected people, which means infection could be spread through direct contact with saliva.

What are the symptoms of a peptic ulcer?

The most common symptom of ulcers is abdominal pain. Felt anywhere between the navel and the breastbone, this discomfort usually

• is a dull or burning pain
• occurs when the stomach is empty-between meals or during the night
• may be briefly relieved by eating food, in the case of duodenal ulcers, or by taking antacids, in both types of peptic ulcers
• lasts for minutes to hours
• comes and goes for several days or weeks

Other symptoms include

• weight loss
• poor appetite
• bloating
• burping
• nausea
• vomiting

There are some sufferers who suffer no symptoms.

Emergency Symptoms

A person who has any of the following symptoms should call a doctor right away:

• sharp, sudden, persistent, and severe stomach pain
• bloody or black stools
• bloody vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds

These symptoms might be a sign of a serious problem:

• bleeding-when acid or the peptic ulcer breaks a blood vessel
• perforation-when the peptic ulcer burrows completely through the stomach or duodenal wall
• obstruction-when the peptic ulcer blocks the path of food trying to leave the stomach

How is an H. pylori-induced ulcer diagnosed?

Noninvasive Techniques

If you have an ulcer, your doctor will first ask you about over-the-counter drugs you are taking. Patients who are taking an NSAID are asked to stop, reduce the dose, or switch to another medication.

Then the doctor tests to see if H. pylori is present. Getting tested is important because H. pylori-induced ulcers are treated differently than ulcers caused by NSAIDs.

Doctors use one of three simple, noninvasive tests to detect H. pylori in a patient's blood, breath, or stool. Because the breath test and stool test more accurately detect H. pylori than the blood test, some doctors prefer to use one of these two tests. The following tests are usually outpatient tests:

Blood test. A blood sample is taken from the patient's vein and tested for H. pylori antibodies. Antibodies are substances the body produces to fight invading harmful substances-called antigens-such as the H. pylori bacterium.

Urea breath test. A patient takes something labeled with a special atom of carbon. After a few minutes, the patient breathes into a container, exhaling carbon dioxide. If the carbon atom is found in the exhaled breath, H. pylori is present, as this bacterium contains large amounts of urease, a chemical that breaks urea down into carbon dioxide and ammonia.

Stool antigen test. A stool sample is tested for H. pylori antigens.

Can H. pylori infection be prevented?

No one knows for sure how H. pylori spreads, so prevention is difficult. Doctors are trying to find a vaccine to cure H. pylori infection. To help prevent infection, doctors advise people to

• wash their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before eating
• eat food that has been washed well and cooked properly
• drink water from a clean, safe source

By Kshamica Nimalasuriya MD, MPH

Stomach Ulcers and Natural Remedies

First you need to know what caused your susceptibility so ulcers do not become a repetitive occurrence in your life. Stomach acid imbalance, too many pain relievers, taking capsules on an empty tummy, stress, Dosha imbalances and too much pepsin are common causes that compromise the body making it susceptible to ulcers. 90% of duodenal ulcers are developed by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). While everyone will have individualistic needs, below are some essential natural remedies:
Mastica: Safe effective alternative to antibiotics to clear gastro-intestinal disorders (gastritis, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), intestinal inflammation). Mastic Gum, 500 mg twice daily for two weeks, kills H. pylori without killing the necessary friendly bacteria in the tummy.
Cabbage: Juice raw cabbage to cleanse, sooth and heal. Mix with carrots, apples and ginger root. Drink 1/2 C 30 minutes prior to meals and at bed time. If you do not have access to a juicer make a broth with carrots and onion. Add cayenne, raw garlic and raw green herbs right before drinking for optimum antibiotics and immune function.
Cayenne pepper: Natural pain reliever to take in broths, teas or capsules.
Greens: Juices & Smoothies (barley, wheat grass, kale) alkalize the body for healing.
Plantains & Bananas: Eat 1 daily to thicken stomach wall and increase mucus production, building a barrier between digestive acids and the lining of the stomach. Add to smoothies for yum factor.
Herbal Teas: Slippery Elm Bark soothes the stomach mucous membranes. Find a mixture that has slippery elm bark, marshmallow, and licorice root.
Raw Honey: Antimicrobial to soothe and reduce inflammation. Take with peppermint and ginger tea for bloat, gas, burning and after meals to aid digestion.
Optimal Digestion: Eat 6 mini meals through the day, we do not want to put layers of food in our tummies. Do not "eat on the run," when in a negative mind state or after 8pm. Eat just before you begin to feel hungry and stop eating just before you feel full, we do not want our bellies too hungry nor too full. Take the bulk of your liquids at least 30 before and after meals so you do not dilute digestive juices. Please stay away from meats as they very acidifying to the body and hard to digest. In the least, do not pair meet and starches.
Digestive Enzymes: Aids the body to break down protein and fats.
Pro-biotics: Replaces friendly bacteria if you took prescription antibiotics.
Dairy: Replace cow products with goats'.
Stress-reduction: Do not forget yoga, deep breathing, meditation, aromatherapy, visualization and massage.
Reflection: Set aside time to become aware-acknowledge-accept "what is eating you." Ask for healing, give yourself permission to heal then see yourself healing.
Nurture: Do one thing daily to love yourself.
*Disclaimer: Not intended to diagnose/treat any disease or be a substitute for medical advice/ health care. Speak with your doctor before incorporating any new lifestyle changes.

"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." -Hippocrates.

By Stephanie D Harper

Home Remedies For Gas in Stomach

Build up of gas is a common problem for everyone. Gas in the GI tract consists of mainly oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.  When stomach acids mix with pancreatic juices and the bile, carbon dioxide is produced.

Causes

Gas usually occurs due to fibrous foods, malt extracts, consuming food and water which is contaminated. Other causes include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroenteritis.

The most important home remedy for gas is garlic soup. Garlic soup not only reduces intestinal gas but also helps to increase digestion. Grind together little garlic with little cumin, black pepper and coriander seeds. Add water, boil and take in two divided doses.

Chooran powders and pills, which are various combinations of common spices improves digestion after having fried foods.

Small pieces of asafetida dissolved in water (half cup) helps to overcome gas trouble. Asafetida is considered as a good carminative and antiflatulent. To one teaspoonful of roasted cumin, add two cups of water and boil for 5-10 minutes till the water quantity reduces to 1 cup. This preparation may be taken once a day to decrease flatulence.

Herbal Home remedy: Decoction of Ajwain ( Carom Seeds ), an anti-flatulent herb, may be prepared like cumin decoction. Soak pineapple pieces in the decoction overnight. Squeeze pineapple pieces next day morning in order to extract its essence in to the decoction. After filtering, the decoction may be taken to decrease overproduction of gas. But pregnant women should avoid pineapple as it is a strong abortifacient.

Take a mixture of crushed fenugreek seeds and sonchal, a pink colored rock salt which is naturally occurring.

By Ben Branklin