Peptic ulcer disease — affecting the stomach and the duodenum — is common and often complicated. It most frequently occurs in people aged 20 to 40 and is much less common among children and the elderly.
People from all walks of life get ulcers. It’s not so much heavy physical labor that leads to them as a steady avoidance of work and physical activity. Typical symptoms include chest pain, heartburn, constipation, and a clear pattern of flare-ups that come and go with the seasons. Pain often worsens in the fall and early spring, lasts days or weeks, and then remits for a time. If a patient disrupts their routine, diet, or resumes alcohol and smoking, the disease can become chronic and painful. Sometimes the disease is asymptomatic — a “silent ulcer.” The duodenum is affected more often than the stomach.
Today, doctors view peptic ulcer disease as a systemic illness that can produce symptoms in different organs and systems.
What causes it? And how can it be prevented, given the suffering it brings and the dangerous complications it can cause?
Research by Russian physiologist I.P. Pavlov showed that dysfunctions in higher nervous centers tied to the psycho-emotional sphere contribute to the onset of many diseases, including ulcers.
Prominent clinicians point to poor nutrition, oral disease, and problems in the abdominal cavity as primary factors in ulcer formation. Still, they assign the greatest importance to the higher nervous centers and the endocrine system (the glands of internal secretion).
Diagnosis is complex. A doctor can make a tentative diagnosis from the patient’s complaints and a physical exam (palpation), but a definitive diagnosis requires X-ray imaging. Imaging not only confirms the ulcer but also clarifies its size, location, and any complications — information that is vital for timely treatment.
In some cases peptic ulcer disease leads to serious complications. A perforated ulcer causes sudden, unbearable abdominal pain. Bleeding and vomiting are also common. In those situations, call emergency services. While waiting for help, have the patient lie still and avoid movement. Hospitals handle these cases with great care.
A particularly serious complication is malignant transformation of an ulcer, which occurs more often in the stomach and requires immediate surgical intervention. In some patients, adhesions form around the ulcer. While these adhesions may not disrupt function, they can sometimes interfere with gastric emptying and require surgery.
Soviet medicine aimed not only to treat disease but to prevent it. Prevention begins with rational, dietary eating habits — a crucial way to prevent and treat gastrointestinal problems.
Even a healthy person should eat at least three to four times a day. Long gaps between meals, eating on the go, and not chewing food well can all lead to digestive trouble. But avoid overeating as well: it can do lasting harm, especially to people who do intellectual work and to older adults.
Rational nutrition means a balance of essential nutrients: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and water. Consume these in the right proportions for your profession, age, lifestyle, climate, and health status.
Many people avoid raw plant foods, yet raw vegetables are rich in fiber, minerals, trace elements, and vitamins the body needs. Cabbage and carrots contain as many beneficial nutrients as oranges. For patients, juices from raw vegetables — such as cabbage, beets, and carrots — are particularly useful.
The other key to prevention is organizing work, home life, and daily routine properly. Alternate mental and sedentary work with physical activity, sports, and walks. Exercise and organized sports have become widespread in our country, strengthening health and the body. Instill a love of exercise and sport from childhood.
Hardening (gradual exposure to cold), personal exercise, water treatments, air baths, and regular walks all contribute to longer life. Adhere to basic standards of cleanliness and personal hygiene, and teach these habits to children. Cleanliness, order, and green surroundings have a positive effect on the psyche. A good mood and positive emotions help strengthen health and extend life. Avoid conflicts at home, at work, and in public places. Teach young people to control irritability without rudeness. Diversify free time. On weekends, take trips to the countryside, listen to music, sing, and dance. Embrace your work, be kind, and keep a positive attitude — that will help you stay healthy.
