Home > Ulcer Awareness Week 2003
- This site is for archive purposes only -
Helicobacter pylori and Peptic Ulcer Disease
Ulcer Awareness Week
October 6-13, 2003
Ulcers - An Infection
Antibiotics are the cure.
- Dear Ulcer Awareness Week Participant,
Nearly one in ten adult Americans is affected by peptic ulcer disease, exacting a heavy burden in health care related costs - an estimated $6 billion each year - in addition to much personal illness and pain. Until recently, ulcer disease was thought to be a chronic condition caused by stress or diet and often had to be endured for many years. Symptoms could be eased with acid reducing medications but recurrence rates were high, creating a frustrating cycle of pain, relief and relapse for many patients.
We now know that nine of every ten ulcers are caused by an infectious bacterium, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), and can be cured with antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy represents a dramatic medical advance in the treatment of ulcer disease because there is a better than 90 percent chance that the ulcer will be gone for good.
Unfortunately, the old beliefs still persist. CDC research shows that 75 percent of Americans are still unaware that most ulcers are caused by an infection, and thousands of ulcer patients continue to suffer unnecessarily. Your assistance in spreading this important news throughout your community can help change the perception of ulcer disease and encourage patients to talk to a health professional about a cure - and an end to their pain.
If you have any questions about Ulcer Awareness Week, please call (404) 371-5376 or email ulcers@cdc.gov.
Sincerely,
Mitchell L. Cohen, M.D.Director
Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
For information about H. pylori infection and ulcers,
see your health care provider or call toll-free: 1-888-MY-ULCER.