Bruce Springsteen (aka, “The Boss”) recently announced a break in his world tour after he was diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease (PUD).
The understanding of ulcers and PUD, often incorrectly associated with high coffee or spicy food intake, has come a long way.
“In the past, patients would be instructed to follow a bland diet after diagnosis of PUD,” said Kelli DeLay, MD, assistant professor of medicine-gastroenterology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the Benign Esophageal and Gastric Multi-D. “Those days are long gone. We now treat PUD with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and examine what causal factors led to the ulcer.”
To help clear up those myths, DeLay – a Springsteen fan whose favorite songs are “Streets of Philadelphia” and “Born in the USA” – answers some common questions about PUD in the following Q&A.