Bruce Springsteen just canceled his tour over a peptic ulcer — why?
Fans of Bruce Springsteen were crushed to learn that he had to cancel his remaining 2023 tour dates.
“Over here on E Street, we’re heartbroken to have to postpone these shows,” read a post on the Boss’ Instagram earlier this month.
“We’ve been having a blast at our US shows and we’re looking forward to more great times. We’ll be back soon. Love and God bless all, Bruce.”
The cause of the cancellations, according to Springsteen, 74, is the symptoms of a peptic ulcer.
What is a peptic ulcer?
An ulcer is a general medical term for any open sore that is slow to heal, and a peptic ulcer is a sore in the lining of the stomach or small intestine.
It may also be referred to as a stomach ulcer or — if it occurs in the first part of the small intestine — a duodenal ulcer, according to the Mayo Clinic.
For generations, doctors and the general public alike were convinced that peptic ulcers were caused by stress and a diet rich in acidic foods.
As a result, millions of people suffered needlessly with a painful ulcer and were advised to avoid spicy foods in favor of milk, milk products like cottage cheese and other bland foods while taking antacids on a daily basis.
Then, in the 1980s, an Australian research team discovered that a bacteria named Helicobacter pylori was the real cause of most ulcers. The bug was found in almost all the doctors’ patients who had gastric inflammation, a duodenal ulcer or a gastric ulcer.
Their discovery revolutionized care for ulcers and earned the Aussie research team a Nobel Prize in 2005, according to the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research.
Other causes of peptic ulcers include long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen sodium (Aleve).
While high levels of stress and spicy or acidic foods do not cause peptic ulcers, they can make the painful symptoms worse.
Peptic ulcer symptoms
The main symptom of a peptic ulcer is a sharp, burning pain in the stomach. Having an empty stomach can aggravate the pain, as can eating spicy or acidic foods.
In severe cases, symptoms can include vomiting or vomiting blood, dark blood in stools, stools that are black or tarry, trouble breathing, feeling faint, nausea or vomiting, unexplained weight loss and changes in appetite.
Roughly 10% of people develop an ulcer at some point in their lives, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Drinking alcohol, smoking, a family history of ulcers, radiation therapy and frequent use of NSAIDs also raise the risk of developing an ulcer.
Doctors use an endoscope camera to diagnose a peptic ulcer. To test for the presence of H. pylori bacteria, they may take a biopsy of the stomach, administer a stool test and/or a urea breath test.
Peptic ulcer treatment
To treat a peptic ulcer, doctors generally prescribe a round of antibiotics to kill the H. pylori bacteria and a proton-pump inhibitor to reduce acid levels in the gut.
In severe cases, or if the ulcer has caused a tear in the stomach or intestine, surgery or additional medications may be required.
A peptic ulcer may recur if H. pylori isn’t fully cleared from your gut or you continue to smoke or use NSAIDs. For some people with a history of ulcers, doctors recommend taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) instead of NSAIDs for pain relief.
Therefore, prognosis for Springsteen’s condition is good, though it can take several weeks or a few months for a peptic ulcer to heal.
