How many time have you heard such phrases as, “I’m so stressed that I’m going to develop an ulcer” or “Don’t stress so much or you’re going to get an ulcer!” Do we really know what this means or accept that stress causes ulcers? As the semester winds down to exam period, stress is a huge factor that piles onto many students. I’m interested in this topic because the past 4 days have been the most stressful days of the year so far and exams haven’t even started yet!
Ulcers are sores on the skin or mucous membrane that is followed by the tissue breaking. The most common type of ulcer we see is peptic ulcers otherwise known as stomach ulcers. Stomach ulcers are located usually on the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine and are usually very painful.
Diagram of location of stomach ulcers. (Image via. physio-pedia.com)
It’s a common misconception since 1980’s that stress was the direct cause of ulcers. Other causes in belief were it was genetic, excessive alcohol, smoking, and tobacco, and poor lifestyle choices in diet. After the 80’s, we quickly saw research conclude ulcers were a result of bacterial infections, most commonly the bacteria, Helicobacter pylori. H.pylori damages the mucous coating that protects our stomach and intestines. It is spread by contaminated food that has not been fully cooked or unclean water.
Today our knowledge of causes of ulcers is much more indepth than 30 years ago. Overuse of painkillers is an addition to promoting ulcers which in the past has been prescribed as a solution to ulcers. We still see excessive alcohol, smoking, tobacco, and poor lifestyle choices as a factor in allowing for the bacteria, Helicobacter pylori to be more prone to infect a host.
The belief of stress causing ulcers is not completely untrue though. Stress can increase the risk of ulcers if other factors are present. You are more prone to ulcers if you already have poor lifestyle habits on top of the stress.
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Educating yourself on facts and relationship allows you to have a better understanding than general public when it comes to these topics that the majority of people believe.
Guan Qun Zhao
