Botanical medicine for digestive ulcers

Definition
An ulcer is an eroded area of skin or mucous membrane. In common usage, however, ulcer usually refers to disorders in the upper digestive tract. The terms ulcer, gastric ulcer, and peptic ulcer are often used interchangeably. Peptic ulcers can develop in the lower part of the esophagus, the stomach, the first part of the small intestine (the duodenum), and the second part of the small intestine (the jejunum).

Causes & symptoms
Causes of ulcers
There are three major causes of digestive ulcers: infection; certain medications; and disorders that cause oversecretion of stomach juices.

HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that lives in the mucous tissues that line the digestive tract. Infection with H. pylori is the most common cause of duodenal ulcers. About 95% of patients with duodenal ulcers are infected with H. pylori, as opposed to only 70% of patients with gastric ulcers.

USE OF NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDS). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, are painkillers that many people use for headaches, sore muscles, arthritis, and menstrual cramps. Many NSAIDs are available without prescriptions. Common NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), flurbiprofen (Ansaid, Ocufen), ketoprofen (Orudis), and indomethacin (Indacin). Chronic NSAID users have 40 times the risk of developing a gastric ulcer as nonusers. Users are also three times more likely than nonusers to develop bleeding or fatal complications of ulcers. Aspirin is the most likely NSAID to cause ulcers.

Symptoms
Not all digestive ulcers produce symptoms; as many as 20% of ulcer patients have so-called painless or silent ulcers. Silent ulcers occur most frequently in the elderly and in chronic NSAID users.

The symptoms of gastric ulcers include feelings of indigestion and heartburn, weight loss, and repeated episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding. Ulcer pain is often described as gnawing, dull, aching, or resembling hunger pangs. The patient may be nauseated and suffer loss of appetite. About 30% of patients with gastric ulcers are awakened by pain at night. Many patients have periods of chronic ulcer pain alternating with symptom-free periods that last for several weeks or months. This characteristic is called periodicity.

The symptoms of duodenal ulcers include heartburn, stomach pain relieved by eating or taking antacids, weight gain, and a burning sensation at the back of the throat. The patient is most likely to feel discomfort two to four hours after meals, or after having citrus juice, coffee, or aspirin. About 50% of patients with duodenal ulcers awake during the night with pain, usually between midnight and 3 A.M. A regular pattern of ulcer pain associated with certain periods of day or night or a time interval after meals is called rhythmicity.

Herbals
Botanical medicine offers the following remedies that may help treat ulcers:

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus): heals ulcers.
Cabbage: heals ulcers.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis): heals duodenal ulcers.
Chamomile tea: speeds healing, reduces mucosal reaction, reduces stress, and lessens gas.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) root: soothes the stomach, lessens bleeding, and speeds healing, however, the patient must take caution, in that prolonged or excessive use can be harmful to the liver.
Geranium (Pelargonium odoratissimum): lessens bleeding.
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): heals ulcers.
Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) root: soothes the stomach.
Meadowsweet: soothes the stomach.
Plantain (Plantago major): soothes the stomach.
Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva): lessens bleeding and heals mucous membrane.
Wheat grass (Triticum aestivum): heals ulcers.