Stomach Ulcer Symptoms
The most common symptoms of peptic ulcer are:
- Waking at night with upper abdominal pain
- Upper abdominal pain that improves with eating or abdominal pain that worsens with eating
- Gas or belching
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Poor appetite
If you have stomach ulcer, you probably take antacids and antibiotics to help reduce the symptoms. To help you further, you should know what to eat and what not to eat so as not to exacerbate the problem.
Foods That Worsen Your Stomach Ulcer
If you suffer from a stomach ulcer, make sure that you stay away from the following:
#1: Alcohol
If you’re an alcoholic, you’re already at risk of peptic ulcer. It is only wise to stay away from alcoholic beverages if you already have this stomach problem since they only add more acid into the stomach.
#2: Spicy Foods
Anything spicy can irritate your stomach’s lining. It is a myth though that spicy food is one of the reasons why people get peptic ulcers. What they actually do is they increase the acid in the stomach, which can worsen the condition of the ulcer.
#3: Coffee
If you’re a coffee lover, this will probably be bad news for you. Cut down your coffee intake as well as other products that contain caffeine, so as not to aggravate existing peptic ulcer.
#4: Carbonated Drinks
You may not be a fan of coffee, but you like sipping on fizzy drinks. Sadly, they are also a no-no for people with peptic ulcer. The reason behind this is that carbonated drinks often have citric acid, which can increase stomach acidity.
#5: Red Meat
This may come as a surprise for many people since red meat doesn’t really appear to be an irritant to the stomach lining. However, it is rich in protein and fat and the digestive system takes extra time to break the meat down. Red meat will stay in the stomach for a longer time since it’s hard to digest. Unfortunately, this leads to more acid in the stomach, which can worsen the symptoms of stomach ulcer.
#6: Milk
Stop consuming milk as well as other dairy products if you have a stomach cancer. Some people actually drink warm milk to alleviate their symptoms. The truth is this method doesn’t work because milk is high in fat and protein – two of the worst nutrients if you have peptic ulcer.
Aside from knowing which foods to avoid, you should also know which ones to consume more. These include fish, beans, and eggs. You should also add whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.