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Article: ULCERS; IT'S NOT WHAT YOU EAT, IT'S WHAT'S EATING YOU; THE MYSTERIOUS BACTERIA H. PYLORI AND COMMON PAIN RELIEVERS ARE THE PRIME CULPRITS
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 22, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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A shallow pothole in the lining of the gut, the ulcer is so
closely linked in the public mind with worry that it has become a
metaphor for the Age of Stress.
Undeservedly, it turns out. Despite countless punchlines, ulcers
have more to do with aspirin than anxiety, more with bacteria than
bad days at the office.
And it wasn't the hot peppers, either.
Medical advances and new discoveries about ulcer disease over
the past decade have altered the way ulcers are diagnosed and
treated - while eroding stereotypes about those who suffer from
them.
About 4.4 million Americans reported having chronic ulcer
problems in 1992, according to the National Center for Health
Statistics. The rate of ...