Does eating chilli cause ulcers?

I love my food with a lot of chilli. However, I have started getting pain in the throat, stomach and cough whenever I eat food with chilli. Is it ulcers? Boby,

Dear Boby
What you call a stomach ulcer (peptic ulcer) is largely due to an infection of the stomach by germs called helicobacter pylori with the rest mostly caused by use of painkillers of the type Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (which include aspirin and diclofenac).
A peptic ulcer may be in the stomach, the tube which takes food out of the stomach (duodenum) or the tube which takes food into the stomach (oesophagus). When stomach acid runs backwards into the oesophagus, it can lead to pain behind the breast bone (retrosternal pain) or even inflame the throat, leading to a sore throat and/or an irritating cough. A stomach ulcer can cause burning stomach pain, indigestion and other discomforts. This may be when one is hungry, during mealtimes or after one has eaten.

A doctor may advise you to avoid foods that may worsen these symptoms apart from giving one appropriate medication for the cause of the symptoms.
One may get the symptoms of a stomach ulcer after eating food spiced with chilli because the food may irritate the stomach which already has a stomach ulcer. On its own, chilli has a substance called capsaicin, which kills helicobacter pylori apart from reducing stomach acid production and aiding protective stomach mucus production which help in prevention and healing of peptic ulcers.

This then can be used together with appropriate medication to further help prevent and treat peptic ulcers.
Therefore, you may need to be checked for and eradicate helicobacter pylori while avoiding painkillers of the NSAIDs type. This is in addition to avoiding taking chili until you are advised that a cure has been effected or after trying to eat a bit of chili without getting symptoms.