Cigarette Smoking and Peptic Ulcer

Smokers are twice as likely as nonsmokers to develop peptic ulcers. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which may increase the risk of getting an ulcer by:

Smoking slows the healing of your ulcer and makes it more likely that an ulcer will come back.

If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.

For more information, see the topic Quitting Smoking.

Credits

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerJerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology
Last RevisedJanuary 4, 2012
By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: January 4, 2012
Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology

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