Whatever you wish to call it, an ulcer (referred to technically as a peptic ulcer) is no fun at all. It usually starts with a burning pain which can last for hours, and it brings untold misery to those suffering from it.
As many as 25 million Americans will have an ulcer at one point in their lives, and about 5 million are suffering from one at any point. U.S. News & World Report claims 500,000 new peptic ulcer cases are diagnosed each year, generating $10 billion in direct and indirect treatment costs.
We’ll get to what can make an ulcer worse, but first, let’s talk about how they form.
How Ulcers Form
There is no one thing or issue that makes people get ulcers. The blame falls on Helicobacter pylori (Pylori), a bacterium that will create an imbalance in the digestive fluids in the stomach and the first part of the small intestine, known as the duodenum.
Because of the bacteria’s effect, the acids that digest food instead attack the walls of the stomach, esophagus or duodenum. This causes a burning pain that can strike at any time, especially during the night or between meals.