Final answer:
Stress ulceration risk factors include the use of NSAIDs and infection with Helicobacter pylori. Smoking and stress are less definitive factors. Diet and lifestyle choices, previously thought to contribute, are now considered to have minimal impact on ulcer development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Risk Factors for Stress Ulceration
Stress ulceration primarily occurs when the mucosal barrier that protects the stomach lining is compromised. Some of the key risk factors for the development of stress ulcers include chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, and infection with Helicobacter pylori. The latter is a bacterium that thrives in the acidic environment of the stomach and is associated with the majority of peptic ulcers. Although lifestyle factors like smoking and stress have been implicated in the development of ulcers, they have not been conclusively shown to cause peptic ulcers independently of H. pylori infection. Unlike historical beliefs, modern medical understanding suggests that spicy foods, coffee, and alcohol have minimal impact on the development of peptic ulcers.
The mucosal barrier’s breakdown could lead to gastric juice eating away at the stomach lining, creating erosions or ulcers. Gastric ulcers cause pain partly due to the irritation of the ulcerated tissue by acidic gastric juice. When discussing the broader category of peptic ulcers, which includes both gastric and duodenal ulcers, H. pylori is found in approximately 80% of stomach ulcers and over 90% of duodenal ulcers.