A stomach ulcer is usually caused by an infection with a bacterium (germ) called H. pylori. A 4-8-week course of acid-suppressing medication will allow the ulcer to heal. In addition, a one-week course of two antibiotics plus an acid-suppressing drug will usually clear the H. pylori infection. This usually prevents the ulcer from recurring again. Anti-inflammatory drugs, used to treat conditions such as arthritis, sometimes cause stomach ulcers. If you need to continue with the anti-inflammatory drug, then you may need to take long-term acid-suppressing medication.
Understanding your gut and digestion
Food passes down the oesophagus (gullet) into the stomach. The stomach makes acid which is not essential, but helps to digest food. After being mixed in the stomach, food passes into the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). In the duodenum and the rest of the small intestine, food mixes with enzymes (chemicals). The enzymes come from the pancreas and from cells lining the intestine. The enzymes break down (digest) the food which is absorbed into the body.
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