Can peptic ulcers lead to one’s death?

Dear doctor, I am an artiste based in Kampala. Recently, a female singer died because of ulcers. Can ulcers kill so quickly when one has not had them before? Can milk, if given quickly, help the situation? Could it have been another issue that led to her death?
Sarah

Dear Sarah, peptic ulcers are wounds in the gullet, stomach or the part of the intestines after the stomach (duodenum) and are mainly caused by a germ called Helicobacter Pylori and painkillers like Diclofenac and aspirin.

Apart from peptic ulcers, the germ risk one cancer of the stomach after long-term infection as such anyone with burning pain in the upper middle abdomen, among other symptoms, should be investigated for the germ. They should also avoid self-prescribing painkillers.

The pain may be increased by food (stomach ulcer) as one produces more acid to aid digestion and certain fruits immediately lead to serious pain.

Food may immediately relieve the pain if one has duodenal ulcers as the stomach closes off to digest food but pain may return after about two hours when acid-laden food is discharged into the duodenum.

When the stomach is completely empty of food, pain may also indicate ulcers. Many people benefit from taking milk to “dilute” the acid effect. The milk will not heal the ulcers but reduce pain. Ulcers require proper investigation and if the germ is found, treatment is prescribed together with changes in lifestyle advised to avoid complications.

Helicobacter may exist for many years without causing symptoms and many times the young and elderly may have ulcers without symptoms.

Peptic ulcers can lead to gastro-intestinal bleeding, which if sudden and serious (because of eating into a blood vessel), can cause imminent death.

The ulcer can also perforate through spilling stomach contents into the abdomen risking immediate death.

Many Ugandans are self prescribing painkillers risking complications of peptic ulcers if one has them (even when they are silent).Unfortunately, it may be worse if one has ulcer pain and then takes pain killers to quell the pain. Even without peptic ulcers, painkillers can cause bleeding ulcers.

Musicians have stressful lives, which on its own, can lead to peptic ulcers and with an associated issues leading to heavy intake of painkillers, thus one may suffer ulcer complications and immediate death.

Dear doctor, I have been taking soya for a long time until I was told that it causes impotence.
Bagunywa Tteke

Dear Bagunywa, though not many Ugandans consume soya or its products. Vegetarians usually look to it as a substitute for nutrients missed out in milk, eggs and meat and tend to take it in larger amounts.

Soya has substances called isoflavones, the main compound is Genistein ,which behaves like a female hormone oestrogen.

Genistein is said to reduce sperm motility in women affecting fertilisation so it is imperative that women should avoid soya around their most fertile days to aid conception.