What Causes Peptic Ulcer Disease?
Burning stomach pain associated with fasting and relieved by eating is the cardinal symptom of peptic ulcer disease (PUD). A peptic ulcer is a sore on the lining of the stomach, usually where the stomach curves, or the duodenum, the uppermost part of the small intestine, sometimes in a “pocket.” Ulcers replace healthy tissue with fibers and debris. PUD is very common, affecting 12 percent of men and 10 percent of women at some time in the course of their lives. Stomach acid is essential to health. It serves as a barrier against infection by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. It makes it possible for the body to absorb proteins, calcium, copper, folic acid, iron, and vitamin B12. PUD is usually but not always associated with excessive production of stomach acid. In some cases ulcers related to vitamin deficiencies caused by infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (sometimes called Campylobacter pylori in older natural medicine books), more commonly referred to as H.
