Can an Ulcer Patient Eat Noodles?
Stomach ulcer or peptic ulcer disease is one the commonest cause of abdominal pains in the world. It is so common that in the US for example, peptic ulcer disease affects approximately 4.6 million people annually, with an estimated 10% of the US population having evidence of a duodenal ulcer at some time. H pylori infection accounts for 90% of duodenal ulcers and 70-90% of gastric ulcers.
In Nigeria, apart from Helicobacter pylori, the commonest cause of stomach ulcer is the abuse of Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, diclofenac, felvin and ibuprofen.
The symptoms of peptic ulcer are upper abdominal pains that may referred to the back. The pains may or may not be relieved by meals. Severe symptoms are passage of black tarry stools, or a symptom medically known as peptic ulcer diarrhoea.
The treatment of gastric ulcer involves the use of drugs, diets and life style modifications such as avoiding alcohol, shisha and smoking.
For diets, it is very important we watch what we eat when when have ulcer as certain foods have been shown to not necessarily cause stomach ulcer but worsen it or trigger a recurrence,for example, spicy foods. As the name implies, spicy foods contain alot of pepper that when they touch the ulcerated stomach lining, they trigger pains. It is is like adding salt to injury…imagine the pain!
Common spicy foods in Nigeria are noodles and suya. I am going to dwell on whether noodles are good for ulcer patients in this article. The relationship between soya and ulcer will be discussed in another artice.
Can an Ulcer Patient Eat Noodles?
Instant noodles have numerous manufacturers in Nigeria. The common brand of instant noodles in Nigeria are Indomie noodles, Chikki noodles, Dangote Noodles, Urno noodles and many more. These noodles have one thing in common which is spices. Instant noodles in Nigeria are highly spiced and ulcer patients need to eat them with caution.
Now to the question proper. Can patients with stomach ulcer eat instant noodles? The answer is neither here nor there but am going to say YES AND NO and below are my reasons.
Yes. An ulcer patient can eat noodles if they agree to limit the amount of seasoning they add while preparing the noodles. That is to say, do not use the whole seasoning for your noodles. This will reduce the spices in your noodles and your hurting stomach will be able to tolerate it. Some persons add extra pepper apart from the seasoning, please don’t if you have a healing ulcer.
No. If after eating noodles with little spices, you feel a worsening of ulcer pains or triggering of ulcer pains; then you need to put a stop to eating noodles altogether.
In summary, stomach ulcer patients who develop ulcer pains after eating instant noodles should NOT EAT NOODLES AGAIN UNTIL AFTER THE ULCER IS COMPLETELY HEALED.
©NIMEDHEALTH
