What can people with peptic ulcers eat?

Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 17, 2024
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Peptic ulcers include duodenal bulb ulcers, gastric ulcers, complex ulcers, etc. In such cases, formal treatment should be administered first. Depending on whether there is a Helicobacter pylori infection, different treatment plans should be adopted. At the same time, it is important to develop good dietary and living habits, quit smoking and drinking, and ensure that the diet is light and easy to digest. While ensuring adequate nutrition, efforts should be made to minimize gastric irritation. Foods like soft and mushy rice, porridge, and soft noodles are preferable. Fresh vegetables and fruits are fine. Try to avoid overly cold, greasy, spicy, or irritating foods. Be sure to eat regularly and in moderation or have small, frequent meals, and avoid binge eating.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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Etiology of Peptic Ulcer

Peptic ulcers include gastric ulcers, duodenal bulb ulcers, complex ulcers, and so on. It is currently believed that about 80% of peptic ulcers are related to infection with Helicobacter pylori. Additionally, poor dietary and living habits are closely linked to the formation of peptic ulcers, such as excessive smoking and drinking, overeating cold, greasy, spicy, and irritating foods, as well as strong tea, coffee, etc. Moreover, many medications can cause damage to the gastric mucosa, leading to gastric ulcers, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Furthermore, emotional excitement and major trauma and other stress responses can also lead to acute gastric mucosal lesions, resulting in peptic ulcers.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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Can peptic ulcers become cancerous?

Peptic ulcers generally refer to gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers. It is generally believed that most gastric ulcers are benign, but a small portion of patients may develop cancer, approximately 3%-5%, especially in middle-aged and elderly patients. If the ulcers recur and continue to enlarge, there needs to be vigilance for potential malignancy. However, duodenal ulcers generally do not become cancerous and are more common in young people, presenting symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and bloody stools. Therefore, for peptic ulcers, most are benign, but a small fraction of patients may have ulcers that evolve into cancerous ones, presenting as benign peptic ulcers, which calls for caution, especially in middle-aged and elderly patients. Therefore, it is recommended that patients regularly treat gastric and duodenal ulcers. If the treatment period is prolonged and peptic ulcers recur frequently with poor outcomes, patients should be alert to the potential for cancer and are advised to undergo gastroscopic examination and biopsy for further clarification.

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Written by Li Xue Qing
Gastroenterology
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Peptic ulcer is what?

Peptic ulcers are a recurrent, periodic, and rhythmic disease characterized by upper abdominal pain. They mainly occur in the stomach and duodenum. The causes include excessive secretion of gastric acid, reduced protective function of the gastric mucosa, and infections caused by Helicobacter pylori. In terms of symptoms, there is mainly a tenderness in the upper abdomen. For diagnosis, gastroscope can be used to examine the mucosa for the presence of ulcers.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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Asymptomatic peptic ulcer

Peptic ulcers typically include duodenal bulb ulcers and gastric ulcers. They more or less have typical related symptoms, such as long-term, recurrent, regular upper abdominal pain related to eating, along with symptoms like acid reflux. Diagnosis can be confirmed through gastroscopy. A small portion of patients, especially middle-aged and elderly patients with a history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, often take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) year-round. This situation can easily lead to the occurrence of acute gastric mucosal lesions and often results in asymptomatic gastric ulcers. Many patients present with symptoms like vomiting blood and black stools when they seek medical advice.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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How to treat peptic ulcers?

The treatment of peptic ulcers should be based on specific causes, as well as the patient's gender, age, medical history, and medication history, among other factors. Generally speaking, the primary cause of peptic ulcers is usually Helicobacter pylori infection. Therefore, the first step is to test for Helicobacter pylori. If Helicobacter pylori is present, antibacterial treatment is required, with the first choice being quadruple therapy, which includes a proton pump inhibitor, two types of antibiotics, and a bismuth agent, administered over a 10 to 14-day treatment course. If there is no Helicobacter pylori infection, the first choice would be proton pump inhibitors and gastric mucosal protective drugs, combined with symptomatic treatment. Meanwhile, it is crucial for patients with peptic ulcers to develop good eating and living habits, and relaxing their mindset can also be helpful.