Gastric Ulcer in Traditional Iranian Medicine

Gastric ulcer is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases that have some annoying symptoms in some people.

The stomach ulcers are a painful disease that prevents you from enjoying foods and bothers you time to time with severe and mild pain, in fact:

Wounds in the gastrointestinal wall (including esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (at the beginning of the small intestine), small intestine and colon) are called gastrointestinal or more popular gastric ulcer.

Most of the gastrointestinal ulcers are in the part of the duodenum.

In this article, we provide useful solutions to get rid of stomach ulcers.

Causes of Gastric Ulcer

Most digestive ulcers are caused by an infection. This infection is caused by a type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. – Excessive hunger or fasting – Being upset and anger – Not eating on time – Insomnia

– Drinking carbonated or alcoholic beverages

– Smoking

– Accumulation of the four humors in the stomach and disrupting their balance

– Dirty blood (which is caused by inappropriate food, smoking, breathing in polluted air and etc.)

– Accumulation of microbes in the stomach

– Long-term use of certain drugs (aspirin and naproxen, contraceptives, prescription drugs for arthritis, etc.)

– During the long and hot days of the year, such as summer days, if food is not eaten for a long time, especially in people with hot and dry mal-temperament, the possibility of stomach ulcers increases.

– Unhealthy diet (excessive consumption of fast foods, acidic foods, spicy, salty and fatty foods, etc.).

– Liver, kidney, and lung dysfunction

What does Helicobacter pylori do to your body? After Helicobacter pylori enters your body, it attacks your gastric mucosa. The gastric mucosa protects the stomach tissue from stomach acid. Once the bacteria have done enough damage, the acid can reach the gastric mucosa. These cells cannot resist the strong acid of the stomach and are damaged, causing inflammation or gastric ulcer. Ulcers may bleed, become infected, or block food from moving through your digestive tract. Helicobacter pylori infection occurs when this bacterium infects your stomach. Helicobacter pylori bacteria are usually transmitted from person to person through direct contact with saliva, vomit, or feces. Helicobacter pylori can also be transmitted through contaminated food or water. The exact way in which this bacterium causes gastritis or gastric ulcers in some people is still unknown.

H. pylori is more common in countries or communities that don’t have clean water or good sewage systems.

Most people get Helicobacter pylori in childhood, but adults can get it too. These germs can live in the body for years before symptoms start, but most people who have this bacterium in their body will never develop ulcers. Doctors aren’t sure why only some people develop ulcers after an infection.

*To make sure that you are infected with this microbe, your doctor will determine whether you are infected with or not through blood and urine tests.

Gastric Ulcer Symptoms – Patients with gastric ulcer are bothered by eating spicy, sour or fried foods or raw fruits and vegetables, broth with bread or thin soups. – Severe stomach pain – Early satiety and loss of appetite – Severe bloating – Intolerance of fatty foods – Heartburn – Nausea – Vomit – Weight loss for no apparent reason – Dark and black stools – Dizziness

– Difficulty breathing

– Feeling tired for no reason

– Pale skin

– Vomit that has blood particles

– Belching

– Almost three-quarters of people with stomach ulcers have no symptoms at all.

– When the gastric ulcer becomes severe, it can cause stomach and intestinal bleeding. In such a situation, we should see a doctor quickly.

– If gastric ulcer is not treated correctly and on time, it may lead to stomach cancer.

Symptoms of Nervous Gastric Ulcers – Abdominal pain: Abdominal pain is one of the main symptoms of nervous gastric ulcers, which is usually felt in the upper abdomen and back of the chest. This pain usually worsens after eating food. – Pyrosis and gastroesophageal reflux: burning and discharge these are two other symptoms of gastric ulcer that are associated with abdominal pain. These two symptoms cause bloating, early satiety, nausea, and vomiting. – Fatigue: It is caused by low blood pressure and anemia due to bleeding in the digestive system.

– Weight loss: Sudden weight loss is also a symptom of nervous gastric ulcers.

– Behavioral change: changes in behavior, anxiety, grumpiness, depression, drowsiness, and tension may also be caused by nervous stomach ulcers.

– Bleeding: Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract is also a sign of nervous stomach ulcer.

– Changes in skin color: Changes in skin color, blood pressure reduction and anemia are caused by nervous gastric ulcers.

– Abdominal stiffness: Abdominal stiffness is caused by inflammation and swelling in the digestive system.

Compliance with general points in the treatment of stomach ulcers – Eat on time, don’t eat dinner late and don’t lie down immediately after eating. – Stop eating before you are completely full. – Eat food slowly (about 20 minutes for each meal) and chew it well (30 to 40 times for each morsel). – Walk for a short time after eating. – Reduce the size of each meal, but increase the number of meals so that your stomach won’t be empty.

– Stay relaxed and manage your stress and anxiety.

– Good sleep is the biggest help to the body’s immune system and an effective way to reduce the impact of stress.

– Mental stress worsens stomach ulcer pain. Find the source of your stress and avoid it if you can. Some stress is unavoidable, but we can make it less stressful or affect our health. Regular light exercise such as walking, writing down your feelings in a paper or digital diary, and spending time with good friends are some of the best ways to reduce the effects of stress.

– Avoid consuming fatty, starchy, heavy, and slow-digesting foods.

– Avoid consuming raw garlic and onions and flatulent foods.

– Try to use animal products and red meat less so the stomach will not get acidic.

– Coffee, cocoa, and carbonated drinks are prohibited!

– Excessive consumption of salty, sour, spicy and fatty foods is prohibited! (due to increased stomach acid)

– Be aware that alcohol, pepper, mustard seeds, and nutmeg will increase your stomach pain and burning!

– Limit or stop the consumption of black tea and caffeinated substances.

– Avoid smoking cigarette and hookah.

– Barley soup and rice porridge (not too much), especially if it is prepared with goat’s milk, which is especially suitable for hot stomachs are useful. Rice is anti-ulcer of the stomach and intestines, and goat’s milk prevents the bleeding of ulcers of the stomach and intestines.

– The best and healthiest oil for these patients is olive oil.

– Among the useful drinks, we can mention honey with water, drink which is made of rose water, water and honey, fresh apple juice and almond milk.

– The best fruits: plums, pears, apples (which are better to be cooked) and raisins.

– Dried fruits or cooked fruits (compote) are better options for these people than raw fruit.

– Consumption of probiotic products (such as probiotic yogurt, kefir, etc.) is recommended.

– Eating soft foods and cooked foods instead of dry and hard foods

– You should avoid eating vinegar, butter, salt, spices, lettuce, chewing gum, leftover food, canned food, sausage, all kinds of sandwiches, pizza, and sauce.

Traditional Iranian Medicine prescriptions for Gastric Ulcer Treatment – Honey is known as a strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial food. Consuming 1-2 dessert spoons of honey daily on an empty stomach can help reduce inflammation and stomach ulcer pain. A dessert spoon of honey should be kept in the mouth and eat it slowly. – Peppermint is known as a green option for treating gastric ulcers. This herb (herbal medicine) itself has anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and antibacterial properties. You can put some mint leaves in a cup of boiling water and after a few minutes, strain it and drink it.

– Cumin is known as a natural sedative. Daily consumption of 1-2 teaspoons of cumin powder with honey or water may help reduce inflammation and stomach ulcer pain.

– Lemon peel contains flavonoid compounds, keratin, and alpha-hydroxy acids, which are known to relieve pain and inflammation. Daily consumption of 1-2 teaspoons of lemon peel powder with honey or water may help reduce inflammation and stomach ulcer pain.

– Mix and boil 10 grams of Damask Rose buds (Rosa damascena Mill.) and Bambusa bambos, then sweeten the decoction with honey and drink it three times. Repeat this process for 10 days.

– Black seed, Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.), ajwain seed (Trachyspermum ammi), fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), cumin seed (Cuminum cyminum L.), yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.), celery seed and Dysphania botrys 20 grams each, mix them all and divide into 20 equal parts. Brew one part in the morning, one part at noon and another part at night, then strain and sweeten with honey and drink it.

– Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), cumin, wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), fumitory (Fumaria officinalis L.), valerian root (Valeriana officinalis L.) and Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus) 5 grams each, Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.), fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), and marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) 10 grams each. Mix 50 grams of licorice powder with it and divide it into 15 parts. Every day boil one part of it, strain and sweeten with honey, and drink it in the morning and evening.

– Dissolve 12 grams of Oak manna (Quercus mannifera Lindl.) in boiling water and drink it every day.

– Brew 5 grams of Yarrow flower (Achillea millefolium L.) every day morning on an empty stomach for 40 days and drink it.

– If you don’t have high blood pressure, take one licorice tablet before breakfast and one tablet at 5 pm.

– Dissolve 12 grams of each of Astragalus manna, red sugar, Manna of Hedysarum and Oak Manna in boiling water and drink two cups 3 times a day.

– Brew 40 grams of Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis L.) in a liter of boiling water and drink it (this prescription is harmful for pregnant women).

– Eat a tablespoon of honey every morning on an empty stomach and don’t eat anything else for an hour.

– Sweeten raw potato juice with honey and drink it.

– Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis L.), wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), yarrow flower, chamomile flower, Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.), Water Lily (Nymphaea alba L.), Milk Vetch fruit kernel (Astragalus hamosus L.), Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.), fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), Yellow Myrobalan peel (Terminalia chebula Retz.), Chinese rhubarb root (Rheum officinale), senna, Damask Rose buds, and Coriander seed, 6 grams of each, half grind them, and divide it into 10 parts, then boil each part in the morning on an empty stomach, filter and sweeten it with honey and drink it.

– Aristolochia dried fruit, Myrrh resin (Commiphora myrrha), Commiphora mukul resin, Yellow Myrobalan peel (Terminalia chebula Retz.), Black Myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz.), Amla (Phyllanthus emblica), Chinese rhubarb (Rheum officinale), Senna, Damask Rose buds, Gentiana lutea, Water Lily seed, Turpeth root (Operculina turpethum), anise, carrot seed and celery seed, grind 3 grams of each, make a thick paste with honey and eat it every morning, noon and night as much as 2 chickpeas.

Treatment of Old and Chronic Gastric Ulcer

To treat a gastric ulcer that has become old and chronic, you should mix equal amounts of grinded Armenian Bole, Damask Rose buds, Dragon Blood resin (Dracaena cinnabari), Pomegranate flower (Punica granatum L.), and edible frankincense. Put a tablespoon of it in your mouth and eat it with mix of rose water and water every morning, noon and night.

Gastric Ulcer in Hot Temperaments

If you have hot temperament and have a gastric ulcer, you should mix wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), chicory root (Cichorium intybus L.), chicory seeds, fumitory (Fumaria officinalis L.), licorice root, chamomile, anise, yarrow, and Chinese rhubarb for 15 grams each and grind them. Divide into 15 equal parts and boil each part each day. Then strain this decoction and sweeten it with sugar and drink it before breakfast.

 

References:

-Daeratol Maarif Giah Darmanie Iran (Noskhehaye Shafabakhsh), by Haji Sharifi, Ahmad (Attare Esfahani)

-Traditional Iranian Medicine Doctor’s Prescriptions.