Ayurvedic Medicine For Peptic Ulcer

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Peptic ulcers are open sores mostly on the inside lining of your stomach as well as in the beginning of your small intestine (duodenum) or the lower part of your esophagus. Your stomach produces pepsin and other digestive enzymes, which help in the digestion of food by breaking it down. These substances are highly corrosive in nature. In normal circumstances, the stomach has a strong mucous lining that protects it from these substances. 

But in case of this condition, this protection breaks down, and the substances start to come in contact with the organs of the digestive system, where the breaking down of food happens. This happens when the amount of enzymes increases or the strength of the mucous lining is weakened. The corrosive nature of these digestive enzymes eats up the organs they come in contact with, leading to open sores called ulcers.

The most common reasons for peptic ulcers can be said to be H.pylori infection and excessive use of NSAIDs. However, certain lifestyle habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can also increase the risk of peptic ulcer. Although spicy foods and stress are not directly the causes of the disease, they can certainly worsen its symptoms. 

How Does Ayurveda Understand Peptic Ulcers?

Peptic ulcers come under digestive disorders. According to Ayurveda, a peptic ulcer is primarily caused by Pitta aggravation in the body. It is the dosha (bodily energy) that is responsible for governing our digestive and metabolic health. The excess of Pitta disrupts the digestive fire (Agni), which leads to disturbed metabolism and, therefore, accumulation of Ama (toxins) in the body.

Ayurvedic Treatment for peptic ulcer aims to pacify the excess heat and acidity that causes the condition to take place. It aims to provide a holistic treatment program tailored to suit each patient’s unique prakriti (bodily constitution). 

Common Symptoms Of Peptic Ulcer

Many people suffering from peptic ulcers don’t notice any symptoms. However, when symptoms do appear, they usually include:

• Dull or burning stomach pain. For some people, pain may worsen between meals and at night. For some, it might get worse after a meal.
• Feeling of fullness or bloating
• Heartburn
• Nausea 

• If the ulcer bleeds, symptoms may include:

• Vomiting blood, which appears red or black
• Having dark blood in stools, or tarry stool
• Feeling dizzy or fainting

• Loss of appetite 

Dosha Dependent Symptoms

According to Ayurveda, your symptoms may differ depending on your prakriti, that is, which dosha is dominant in your body’s constitution. Keeping that in mind, symptoms can include:

• Pitta-predominant symptoms: These can include a burning or gnawing pain in the upper abdomen, which might often occur between meals or at night, nausea, heartburn, or tarry stool (in cases of bleeding).

• Vata-predominant symptoms: Responsible for all bodily movements, symptoms related to this dosha can be pain during digestion of food, bloating, gas, gurgling sounds, and irregular bowel movements.

• Kapha-predominant symptoms: These can include a feeling of heaviness, sluggishness, nausea, dullness, and discomfort.

Common Causes And Aggravating Factors:

Let us understand the most common causes of peptic ulcers from modern, as well as Ayurvedic views: 

Modern Causes-

• One of the most common causes is H.pylori bacterial infection.
•  Excessive consumption of NSAIDs, such as pain relievers like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin, can damage the stomach's mucosal lining.
• Smoking
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Other less common causes include Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, Crohn’s disease, or stomach cancer.

Ayurvedic Causes-

The main cause of a peptic ulcer is a disturbed or weak digestive fire. This causes digestion problems and, therefore, leads to the accumulation of toxins in the body. The common ayurvedic causes for the disruption of this fire include:

• Dietary habits such as frequently consuming spicy, acidic, salty, fried, and processed foods that increase pitta. 
• Irregular patterns of eating, such as skipping meals, overeating, or eating before the previous meal is digested.
• Lifestyle factors such as high stress, sleep deprivation, smoking, excessive alcohol, tea, or coffee consumption
• Bacterial infection. In parallel to H.pylori infection among the modern causes, Ayurveda recognises the concept of shleshmaja krimi, which is similar to bacterial infection that we talked about before. It disrupts the mucosal lining. 

Ayurvedic Treatment For Peptic Ulcer

The goal of Ayurvedic medicines is to balance Pitta, improve the absorption of nutrients, and cleanse the digestive system. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective herbal solutions:

• Licorice root (Yashtimadhu): It promotes mucosal healing, reduces inflammation, and strengthens the stomach lining.

• Amla (Indian Gooseberry): It is rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C; therefore, it helps in neutralizing acidity and aids healing

• Aloe vera: It possesses cooling properties; therefore, it helps produce a cooling effect on inflamed stomach tissues.

• Turmeric: This also produces strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

• Shatavari: It is known for its cooling qualities, which help pacify the excess heat in the digestive system and support healing.

• Guduchi: It is an anti-inflammatory herb that boosts the immune system.

• Triphala: It is a traditional blend of three fruits that helps in detoxifying the digestive system and improving overall gut health.

Although these medications are generally safe, you should consume any medication under the guided expertise of Jiva Ayurvedic doctors, who will help you regarding the dosage, along with the lifestyle changes that should be made.

Ayurvedic Therapies For Peptic Ulcer 

Treatments include panchakarma therapies, yoga, and pranayama (breathing exercises).

Various panchakarma therapies include:

• Virechana: It is a detoxification therapy used to get rid of excess Pitta, to reduce excess heat and acid, which are the primary causes for ulcers.
• Basti (medicated enema): It is used to balance Vata dosha and help reduce inflammation and support gut healing.
• Abhyanga (oil massage): massage with medicated oils helps in relaxation of muscles and stress, and helps balance the doshas of the body.
• Shirodhara: It is a deeply relaxing therapy where a warm stream of oil is poured over the forehead. It helps in easing anxiety and stress, which increases the symptoms of peptic ulcer.
• Takradhara: A cooling therapy that uses medicated buttermilk. It is used to pacify Pitta. 

Gentle yoga poses like Supta Baddha Konasana (reclining bound angle pose) and Setu Bandhasana (bridge pose) can help relax abdominal muscles and, therefore, improve circulation in the digestive organs. 

Pranayama techniques like Anulom Vilom (alternate nostril breathing), Sheetali (cooling breath), and Shitakari can help reduce stress, calm the nervous system, and balance the digestive system.

Dietary And Lifestyle Tips

The disease of peptic ulcer can be reduced to a significant extent through changes in one’s lifestyle. Since it is a digestive disorder, it is hugely affected by what we eat and how we eat it. Therefore, making significant dietary and lifestyle changes is necessary alongside medications and treatments to achieve a speedy recovery.

Dietary Tips

The diet for peptic ulcer is based upon Pitta pacification. Some important dietary tips would include:

Foods To Inculcate:

• Fibre-rich food: Oats, barley, beans, lentils, and fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots can help reduce stomach acid.

• Cooling and bland foods like whole-grain cereals and pulses.

• Probiotics: The good bacteria. Ex: yoghurt, buttermilk, and other fermented milk products. 

• Leafy vegetables: Pumpkin, ash gourd, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, and boiled or steamed vegetables in general.

• Lean proteins:  Skinless chicken, fish, eggs, and tofu instead of red or fatty meats.

• Hydrating beverages: Coconut water, plain water, and mild herbal teas like chamomile and licorice root to help soothe the digestive tract.

• Soothing spices: Turmeric, cumin, fennel, coriander, and ginger (in moderation) to help with digestion.

Foods To Avoid:

• Spicy and acidic foods: They irritate the ulcer even more.

• “Heating” foods or drinks: Coffee, black tea, chocolate, and carbonated drinks stimulate acid production.

• Fatty and fried foods: These are hard to digest; therefore, they increase acid production.

• Refined foods: Foods like pasta, white bread, and packaged processed foods should be avoided.

• Smoking and alcohol: Both irritate the stomach lining and disrupt healing.

Lifestyle Habits:

• Avoid large meals.
• Avoid eating late at night.
• Avoid eating while being stressed or distracted.
• Avoid prolonged use of NSAIDs.
• Practice healthy stress management.
• Stay hydrated.
• Ensure adequate and quality sleep.
• Carry out physical activity to help digestion.

When To Seek Ayurvedic Help?

If you notice that your symptoms, like nausea, heartburn, bloating, and indigestion, are persisting for an abnormally long period of time, even after taking conventional medications like antacids, you should seek ayurvedic help to treat their root cause. 

Moreover, if you notice:

• Blood in your vomit
• Black, tarry stool
• Sudden, sharp, or severe abdominal pain
• Feeling dizzy or fainting
• Unexplained or unintended weight loss,

You should immediately contact professional health experts, as this can be a sign of internal bleeding or perforation. 

Conclusion: 

Ayurvedic treatment for peptic ulcer predominantly focuses on pacifying the Pitta dosha, the aggravation of which is the main cause of this disease. Ayurvedic philosophy aims to help the patient heal by focusing on the root cause of the disease rather than just focusing on the symptoms. Our treatments provide a holistic treatment program after assessing the bodily constitution of the patient. This allows doctors at Jiva Ayurveda to make treatment programs that are unique for each individual, pertaining to their unique body types and needs.