During this Thanksgiving holiday, Former First Lady Barbara Bush underwent emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer. This condition can be life threatening, so let’s take a closer look.
What is a perforated ulcer? An ulcer located in the stomach or other parts of the digestive tract is a breakdown of the organ’s inner lining. As the tissue begins to break down, the digestive acids eat away at the walls of the digestive tract. Eventually, bleeding can occur. A perforated ulcer is a result of this worsening condition. The acids eventually create a hole in the organ resulting in the release of foods and digestive juices outside the stomach or intestine.
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In 2007, pet food manufactured in China was contaminated with melamine, a byproduct of plastics manufacturing. This chemical, which mimics protein, caused fatal kidney disease and kidney stones. Several pet illnesses and deaths were reported in the United States, which prompted an investigation into pet foods coming from China.
Now, another scandal has arisen in China with the findings of melamine in infant formulas. As of this past week, over 54,000 infants have become ill from ingesting melamine-contaminated formula, 12,900 are currently hospitalized, and four infants have died from kidney failure. It is estimated that 20 percent of all infant formulas in China contain melamine, which was used to raise protein-levels in milk to reach government standards. Contamination has also been found in liquid milk, frozen yogurt dessert and in coffee drinks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has issued a release stating that “countries should closely monitor their markets,” because melamine-contaminated products could reach other countries via “formal and informal trade.” This follows reports of finding imported melamine-contaminated products in several countries over the last two weeks.
One of my loyal readers and my current business trip to Dallas prompted today’s topic – ulcers. Over the past two days, my cuisine has consisted of spicy Thai, Indian, and Mexican food. People are always amazed at my preference and tolerance for spicy food because they associate spicy foods with ulcers. Contrary to popular belief, spicy foods do not cause peptic ulcers. If they did, I probably would be hospitalized.
Peptic ulcers are a common medical problem and a frequent diagnosis in the emergency department. Patients can present with a variety of complaints, but the most serious is bleeding within the gastrointestinal tract. Let’s take a good look at peptic disease.
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It’s wintertime. A time for gentle snowfall. Taking brisk walks while holding hands with the one we love. And for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). WHAT? How can we go from light fluffy snow to irritable bowels? That’s because during the winter season, not only do we change our exercise patterns, but we also change our eating patterns. Washing down some Super Bowl pizza with a soft drink while waiting on that fresh plate of Cajun deviled eggs really might just take its toll. Not only on your waistline, but your bowel mechanics. Does this sound familiar: pain, bloating and diarrhea? This may be due to a change in eating habits during this time of the year, yet this may be a more chronic problem. Your health care provider may diagnose you with IBS.
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It may be more than what you ate.
Abdominal pain is a common complaint seen in Emergency Departments on a daily basis, but is a concern that can be easily addressed by a health care provider through a simple evaluation to determine the specific cause.
Many causes resulting in abdominal pain include a simple upset stomach, heartburn, appendicitis, bowel obstruction, kidney stone, urinary tract infection, ovarian cyst or diverticular disease. If the more serious concern of diverticular disease is diagnosed, then treatment should begin. Let’s look a little more closely at this fairly common problem and treatment options.
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