Stomach Ulcers Causes

How Do You Get Stomach Ulcers?

Stomach ulcer causes may include anything from heredity to simple lifestyle choices. The goal of this article is to list and briefly describe the most common stomach ulcers causes. We'll provide answers to several important questions about stomach ulcers, including how do you get stomach ulcers and is there a connection between stomach ulcers and stress.

Medically speaking, stomach ulcers are caused by the destruction of part of the lining of the stomach. This lining is made of layers of mucous that protect the stomach from being digested by its own acids. It's generally accepted that hydrochloric acid, which is one of the acids present in the stomach, is usually responsible for the actual damage to the lining that causes stomach ulcers.

How do you get stomach ulcers? So the question becomes, what causes the breakdown in the lining that allows hydrochloric acid to start eating away? Here are some possibilities.
 
The stomach may secrete or produce more hydrochloric acid than the stomach lining can handle.

• genetic or familial predisposition,  
• excessive use of anti-inflammatory medications or aspirin
• having Type O blood seems to be a factor in duodenal ulcers
• having certain chronic organ disorders, especially liver disease, emphysema, and rheumatoid arthritis
• having Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which is caused by tumors, usually found in the head of the pancreas and the upper small intestine.
• advancing age is a risk factor 

In addition, there are a number of lifestyle factors that appear to contribute to stomach ulcer development:

• smoking,
• obesity, 
• poor diet and nutritional habits, skipping meals and irregular eating 

Stomach ulcers and stress Most people believe that emotional or psychological stress is among the biggest stomach ulcers causes. Scientifically speaking, this may not be so. However, it's clear that individuals who are under a lot of stress often make lifestyle choices that qualify as risk factors for developing ulcers. Excessive use of alcohol and poor nutrition lead the list.

Helicobacter pylori An infectious bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori is also among the most common stomach ulcers causes. H. pylori usually gets into the stomach through contaminated food and water.

H. pylori may also be a contributing cause of both stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. We have a separate article on this bacteria. Click on Helicobacter pylori.

Stomach ulcer statistics According to recent research, a stomach ulcer causes stomach problems for about 4 million Americans each year. About 20 million Americans develop at least one stomach ulcer in their lifetime.  There are approximately 40,000 stomach ulcer surgery procedures in the U.S. annually, and sadly, about 6,000 Americans die because of stomach ulcer complications every year. See stomach ulcer treatment and stomach ulcer symptoms.

There are several major types of stomach ulcers, and we have separate articles for each on this website: bleeding ulcers, duodenal ulcers, peptic ulcers and gastric ulcers.

It's best to consult your family doctor to begin to determine specific stomach ulcers causes. He or she can then choose the appropriate course of treatment.

Also see our related article on stomach problems.