What I find so beautiful about naturopathic medicine is that we are always looking at treating the underlying cause of the problem to improve the health of the patient.
Anyone that suspects they may have a peptic ulcer needs to be under the supervision of a doctor as they go through the treatment process. Ulcers are uncomfortable and painful and can lead to more serious medical emergencies like hemorrhage, perforations or obstruction in the stomach.
Peptic ulcers are often treated but symptoms reported by the patient. This is done in conjunction with blood test for H. pylori antibodies, fecal antigen test and urea breath tests. More aggressive diagnosis might also include an endoscopic exam along with a biopsy looking for the presence of h. pylori. If h. pylori is found it must be treated and successfully killed off in order to allow the stomach lining to heal and prevent reoccurrence. Killing off H. pylori can occur through the use of antibiotic or herbal treatments under the close supervision of your doctor.
Once H. pylori has been successfully addressed then most of the rest of treatment can be almost exclusively naturopathic. We look at healing the stomach lining and if there is low stomach acid improving the stomach acid in the body.
Finally we can start changing the lifestyle issues to prevent the reoccurrence of gastric ulcers in the future. Caffeine, smoking and too much alcohol intake are major causes of ulcers accompanied by a poor diet. All of these require changes in behavioral patterns to improve your digestive health. If you have difficulty giving any of these products up then consider seeking out special care to help your body remove its dependency on the substances.
Stress management is another important lifestyle change that is required to prevent ulcers and other digestive issues. Exercise, yoga, meditation, laughter are all important stress management factors that improve stress management for the digestive system and other body systems as well. A whole foods diet is always the foundation for a natural approach to health. Studies have shown that diets high in diet fiber have reduced rate of ulcer in comparison to those people with low fiber diets. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are all wonderful sources of fiber.
Again and again we return to the basics and we find our good digestive health starts there!
Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Dae's website: www.healthydaes.org
Dr. Dae's book: Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living can be purchased @ www.amazon.com or www.healthydaes.org
Dr. Dae's Bio:
Daemon "Dr. Dae" (pronounced Dr. Day) Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who completed her training at the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is certified as a General Practitioner by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE). Dr. Dae provides tailored treatment to meet the unique needs of every individual she sees in her practice. She also provides specialized support for persons challenged by nutritional deficiencies, weight problems, hormonal and reproductive system disorders, attention deficit disorder and those experiencing chronic diseases. Dr. Dae is an adjunct faculty member for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts. She is the author of Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living, The Healthydaes Newsletter, and is a regularly featured writer for the Elite GoogleNews Website empowher.com where she shares her personal and professional vision for living whole and living well. To learn more about Dr. Dae, her products and services, please visit her on the Web at www.Healthydaes.org