''A Stomach Ulcer Causes Stress''
The Second Brain Explained

Two of the pioneer researchers on stomach ulcers, Warren and Marshall, were awarded Nobel's prize in Medicine in 2005 for their research on the main cause of ulcers:

Helicobacter pylori.

H. Pylori is a common bacterium found in more than half of the world's population. But 3 out of 4 infected people are asymptomatic and show no signs of ulcer.

However, Helicobacter pylori is found in more than 90% of patients with duodenal ulcers and in about 70% of those with gastric ulcers (Ootani et al, 2006).

10-20% of people harboring H. pylori will at some point develop ulcers. Other ulcer causes and risk factors include:

• The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
• Alcohol abuse and smoking increases risk of ulcer development.
• In some cases, diseases such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome can cause ulcers.

A fascinating aspect of the old notion of stress ulcer symptoms - and most likely the reason ulcers were linked to stress in the first place - is that ulcers cause stress.

And more stress causes more pain. Consider this...

There are only about two thousand preganglionic fibers in the vagus nerves, which are all that exist in the connection between the brain (central nervous system) and the bowel (enteric nervous system).

But there are over one hundred million nerve cells in the human small intestine and several hundred million intrinsic arms and communication points that these cells use to talk to each other (Gershon, 1998).

The enteric nervous system does not necessarily follow commands from the brain or spinal cord.

And the enteric nervous system doesn't necessarily send information it receives back to the brain or spinal cord either...

If you sever the vagus nerve, which happens in patients who have had their vagus nerves surgically interrupted, the enteric nervous system can independently run its organ - the gut.

My point is that ulcers, traditionally thought to be caused by stress-related excessive production of gastric acid, are now seen as the opposite: Ulcers cause stress, not the other way around.

The main cause, as we have reviewed, is Helicobacter pylori.

Signs of ulcer include:

• Pain, usually felt in the upper abdomen but may change when eating.
• Nausea, vomiting
• Bloating, burping
• Bleeding, which may cause dizziness, weakness, and dark, tarry stools.

Ulcers are usually treated with antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor. Stress may increase ulcer pain, and relaxation and meditation techniques are helpful ways to handle stress and pain.

References:

• Ootani H, Iwakiri R, Shimoda R, Nakahara S, Amemori S, Fujise T, Kikkawa A, Tsunada S, Sakata H, Fujimoto K: Role of Helicobacter pylori infection and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use in bleeding peptic ulcers in Japan. J Gastroenterol 2006; 41:41–46
• Gershon, MD (1998): The Second Brain. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. New York. Pg 2-20.