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Article: Ulcers: making medical history. (treatment of peptic ulcers)(Special Advertising Section: Health & Fitness Summer Edition)
- Article from:
- Newsweek
- Article date:
- June 24, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse, distribution or alteration without express written permission of Newsweek is prohibited. For permission: www.newsweek.com. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Contrary to popular belief, most ulcers are not caused by the boss -- unless the boss is a bacterium. That's right: neither a demonic boss nor a burrito with jalapeno peppers can cause an ulcer. That task is reserved for Helicobacter pylori, a corkscrew-shaped bacterium present in half the world's population.
Why some people infected with H. pylori develop ulcers and others do not is still unknown, but it is undisputed that up to 90 percent of ulcers are caused by the bacterium. Nearly 25 million Americans are affected by ulcers -- a sore in the stomach lining or the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). The good news is that a round of antibiotics and ...