ACCORDING to a study by Africa Prima Medicals, Stomach ulcers also called peptic ulcers affect at least 1 in 50 Nigerians over the course of their lives. And while stomach ulcers can be treated easily when caught early, lack of medical care can lead to serious complications.
In a four minute video on BBC Hausa, Dr Fatima Damagun, a medical doctor in Kano said, there are two kinds of stomach ulcers: gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers. Gastric ulcers are sores on the lining of your stomach. Duodenal ulcers are sores on the upper section of your small intestine.
“Your body creates a protective layer of mucus to shield the linings of your stomach and small intestine from the harsh stomach acid required to break down food”.
When the mucus layer is worn away or doesn’t function properly, the acid begins to damage the lining of the stomach or small intestine, creating an ulcer.,” she explained.
“Many people believe spicy foods or hunger cause ulcers, but while these can exacerbate existing ulcers, they don’t actually cause them. Hunger only causes what we call dyspepsia”.
“The earliest sign of ulcer is those short sharp pain in your chest, at the middle, just above your stomach. With those pains, nine out of ten times, it’s an ulcer”, she stated.
“Of course, ulcer is hereditary. If you parents or very close relatives have it. It’s a risk factor, you can get it too”, the medical profession concluded.
