THE DOCTOR WHO INFECTED HIMSELF WITH BACTERIA TO PROVE THEY CAUSED ULCERS

Most Ulcers Are Believed to be Caused by Bacterium Helicobacter Pylori and Treated with Antibiotics

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Your stomach hurts. It seems to get better when you drink milk or take some Maalox. You see your doctor who says it sounds like you may have gastritis or an ulcer. Surprisingly, he orders a blood test for something H. pylori. He explains it's a germ. What do "germs" have to do with a stomach ulcer?





Some years ago two Australian doctors proposed that ulcers were caused by germs, bacteria. In a phenomenon that has been repeated many times in science and medicine the "experts" laughed at them. For years physicians had primarily treated ulcers and gastritis with H2 blockers, drugs such as Pepcid, Zantac and Tagamet. They still treat gastritis and ulcers with H2 blockers but now they also use antibiotics.



This is due in no small measure to Dr.Barry Marshall an Australian physician who worked in the lab of a pathologist, Dr. Robin Warren, who had noticed that ulcers often contained bacteria and believed that the bacteria caused ulcers.

He Was Changing the World and the World Wasn't Noticing It

Read healty medical Blog about ulcer symptoms






Marshall became convinced that the pathologist was correct. When they presented their results, the medical community was underwhelmed by the idea and greeted them with scorn, a not uncommon event in the history of science and technology. Out of desperation in his efforts to prove that a bacteria could cause ulcers, Marshall drank a potion of helicobacter pylori. (By the way DO NOT TRY THIS IT'S VERY DANGEROUS)

Sydney Morning Herald About the Amazing Story of How Ulcer Causing Bacteria Were Discovered

What is an Ulcer

An ulcer is an erosion of the lining of the stomach or intestine. It may start as a gastritis or irritation and eventually erode the lining. H2 blockers such as TAGAMET, PEPCID, ZANTAC actually work to heal the gastritis or ulcer as opposed to just coating the surface. If an ulcer travels deeply it may actually break a blood vessel causing internal bleeding. The patient may notice that they are extremely weak or even collapse. This is a medical emergency.

WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF ULCER AND WHAT CAUSES AN ULCER

Ulcers can be treated with antibiotics

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Estimates are that one in ten Americans will have an ulcer at some time in their life. A peptic ulcer is an erosion or "sore" in the lining of the stomach or small intestine which is the part of the intestine that connects directly to the stomach. Peptic ulcers produce abdominal pain which may sometimes feel better after drinking milk or eating or taking Maalox.


But what do you know about ulcers? Answer this question about ulcer causes.

What besides your boss which of the following is known to cause ulcers?



1. Certain types of cancer

2. Certain types of bacteria

3. Some pain medications known as non steroidal anti inflammatory medication

4. Spicy foods

5. Some blood pressure medications known as Beta Blockers












What are the symptoms of peptic ulcers?



A burning pain in the gut is the most common symptom of an ulcer. The pain
feels like a dull ache,comes and goes for a few days or weeks.It can start 2 to 3 hours after a meal,comes in the middle of the night when your stomach is empty and go away after you eat

Read healty medical Blog about the doctor who infected himself to prove bacteria cause ulcers



Thanks to the pioneering work of Warren and Marshall, doctors now think that most but not all ulcers are caused by a bacterium called Helicobacter Pylori. In fact,doctors did not believe Marshall and ridiculed him. He wound up giving himself an infection to prove that he could develop an ulcer from it! Aspirin and motrin are great medications with enormous benefits especially aspirin which has been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attacks. Nevertheless, some people who take large amounts of these medications called NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen can develop ulcers. A rare syndrome called Zollinger Ellison Syndrome can produce tumors which may be cancerous that lead to stomach ulcers. So the answers 1,2,3 are correct. Spicy food and beta blockers have NOT been reported to cause ulcers but spicy food CAN make an ulcer feel worse.



For an excellent explanation of ulcers look here

ulcer information link.