What can I eat with a stomach ulcer?

Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 05, 2024
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Gastric ulcers are a common upper gastrointestinal disease. The main causes are related to Helicobacter pylori infection, poor dietary habits, medication irritation, or chronic mental stress. Incomplete treatment of gastric ulcers can lead to recurrent episodes, and in severe cases, may evolve into gastric cancer. Thus, it is crucial to develop good dietary and living habits while undergoing proper treatment. Dietarily, it is advised to eat light, easily digestible foods such as soft, mushy rice, noodles, porridge, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Meat products should be cooked in a light manner, avoiding overly greasy or spicy foods. Additionally, quitting smoking and alcohol and maintaining a positive mood are also beneficial.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Can you smoke with a stomach ulcer?

Patients with gastric ulcers should not smoke, as the tar and nicotine in tobacco can damage the gastric mucosa and worsen ulcer symptoms. Patients should pay attention to proper rest, reduce mental stress, avoid excessive tension and irritability, develop regular living habits, eat meals at fixed times and in fixed amounts, eat more vegetables and fruits, eat less spicy and greasy food, and avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. It's also important to consume less strong tea and coffee. Actively use medications for treatment, commonly including drugs that inhibit gastric acid secretion and drugs that protect the gastric mucosa. If there is Helicobacter pylori infection, it is necessary to eradicate Helicobacter pylori. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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What should be noted for gastric ulcers?

Gastric ulcers are closely related to lifestyle, dietary habits, and work stress. First, it is important to rest more and reduce mental stress. Secondly, improve dietary habits by eating regular meals, consuming more vegetables and fruits, and easy-to-digest foods while reducing the intake of spicy, greasy, and irritating foods. Pay strict attention to quitting smoking and alcohol, drinking less strong tea and coffee, actively use medications that inhibit gastric acid secretion and protect the gastric mucosa, and persist in taking medication as prescribed by a doctor. Avoid life's irritants, strengthen physical exercise, and engage in more outdoor activities to regulate physical and mental health.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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What medicine to take for gastric ulcer?

The stomach ulcers referred to here are generally benign gastric ulcers. The treatment plan should be determined based on whether there is a Helicobacter pylori infection. If there is no Helicobacter pylori infection, it is first important to develop good dietary and living habits, and then treat the symptoms, such as suppressing stomach acid, protecting the gastric mucosa, and increasing gastric motility. If there is a Helicobacter pylori infection, antibacterial treatment is needed. Typically, a triple or quadruple antibiotic therapy is used; a proton pump inhibitor plus two antibiotics constitute the triple therapy, and adding a bismuth agent constitutes the quadruple therapy. A course of treatment lasts for two weeks, which generally can eradicate the bacteria for a definitive cure. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a clinical doctor, according to specific conditions.)

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Written by Li Xue Qing
Gastroenterology
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How to treat gastric ulcers?

The treatment of gastric ulcers mainly consists of general management and pharmacotherapy. General management involves patients avoiding spicy, stimulating, and cold foods, eating regular meals, and avoiding medications that may harm the stomach, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Pharmacotherapy mainly includes gastroprotective therapy and treatment against Helicobacter pylori. Gastroprotective therapy includes neutralizing stomach acid with agents such as magnesium carbonate chewing tablets, acid-suppressing medications like proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists, pantoprazole, cimetidine, etc. Medications to protect the gastric mucosa, such as sucralfate, bismuth preparations, etc., are also used. Treatment against Helicobacter pylori mainly includes triple and quadruple therapy. Triple therapy involves a proton pump inhibitor or a bismuth agent combined with two types of antibiotics, and quadruple therapy consists of a proton pump inhibitor, a bismuth agent, and two types of antibiotics. Antibiotics commonly used include amoxicillin, clarithromycin, furazolidone, levofloxacin, metronidazole, tetracycline, etc. Treatment generally lasts seven to ten days, with overall therapy for gastric ulcers spanning about a month. (Please undertake any medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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What should not be eaten with gastric ulcers?

Patients with gastric ulcers should be cautious about their diet, abstain from smoking and alcohol, and avoid drinking strong tea, coffee, eating fatty, greasy, spicy, fried, barbecued, raw, cold, and sweet foods, as well as drinking milk and soy milk, or eating glutinous rice and sweet potatoes. This is because some of these foods can stimulate the secretion of gastric acid, worsening the irritation of gastric mucosa and exacerbating gastric ulcers. Some are difficult to digest, thus, they are not recommended. It is advisable to eat porridge, drink soups, eat noodles, such as millet porridge, yam porridge, barley porridge, chicken soup, and pork rib soup. When eating meats, ensure they are well-stewed before consumption.