Causes of ulcer

Causes of ulcer

A peptic ulcer develops when stomach acid overwhelms the protective mucus lining of the stomach or duodenum. What breaks that protection?

1. H. pylori infection (the leading cause). This spiral bacterium lives in the stomach lining, produces inflammation, and strips away protective mucus. It spreads through contaminated food, water and close contact, and is extremely common in India. Most carriers never develop an ulcer - but in those who do, eradicating the bacteria cures the ulcer for good.

2. NSAID painkillers (the second major cause). Ibuprofen, diclofenac, aceclofenac, aspirin and naproxen block an enzyme (COX-1) that maintains the stomach lining's defences. Risk climbs with: regular daily use, higher doses, combining multiple painkillers, use alongside steroids or blood thinners, and age over 60. Many Indians take these freely for body pain, headaches and arthritis without medical supervision - a major, avoidable cause of ulcers and ulcer bleeding.

Factors that add risk (amplifiers, not sole causes):

• Smoking - slows ulcer healing and raises complication risk
• Alcohol - irritates and inflames the lining
• Severe physical stress - major surgery, burns, ICU illness can cause "stress ulcers"
• Rare causes - Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (excess acid hormone), Crohn's disease, stomach cancer

What does NOT cause ulcers: spicy food, tea, and emotional stress by themselves. They can worsen the burning of an existing ulcer, which is why the myth persists - but no amount of chillies creates an ulcer without H. pylori or NSAIDs doing the underlying damage.

Why the cause matters: treatment differs completely. H. pylori needs antibiotics; NSAID ulcers need stopping the painkiller plus acid suppression. Guessing wrong means the ulcer returns.

Remember: two real causes - H. pylori and painkillers. Blaming spices delays the test and treatment that actually cure the ulcer.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive)

Amlapitta is attributed to pitta-aggravating habits (excess sour, fried, irregular meals). That framework sensibly targets triggers, but the modern causes - a bacterium and a drug class - need modern testing and treatment.