I Almost Died In June: Mike Tyson Opens Up On His Health Scare; What Is A Gastric Ulcer He Battled?
Nov 17, 2024
News
Tyson said he threw up blood and after diagnosis got to know of a two-and-a-half-inches big ulcer
The legendary Mike Tyson expressed no regrets about his loss to Jake Paul in their heavyweight boxing match, saying he “fought to be healthy” after a scare in June, which led to the advancement of the fight.
The 58-year-old boxing legend, in an earlier documentary, had revealed he postponed his earlier scheduled November 15 fight after he faced an emergency due to an ulcer flare-up. He said he threw up blood and after diagnosis got to know of a two-and-a-half-inches big ulcer.
Prior to the medical emergency, Tyson had also posted videos of himself sprinting but struggling while doing so, which concerned many fans. A month later, he had medical concerns.
"This is one of those situations when you lost but still won," Tyson posted on X on Saturday after the fight with Paul, which the latter won. “I'm grateful for last night. No regrets to get in the ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions, lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy, so I won,” he added in the tweet.
Tyson had also lost weight because of a stomach ulcer. However, the boxing champion had returned to full training by the end of the summer.
What are stomach ulcers?
A stomach or peptic ulcer is an open sore in your stomach lining – which causes severe stomach pain - often with a burning or gnawing quality. However, according to doctors, not all stomach ulcers cause noticeable symptoms.
Experts say stomach ulcers are common and treatable, but they can become serious if they go too long without treatment. Some ulcers bleed continuously, which leads to significant blood loss over time. Some can continue to erode through your stomach wall until there is a hole.
Also known as gastric ulcers, doctors say they treat around 14 million stomach ulcers every year across the world.
What symptoms do gastric ulcers cause?
While a typical ulcer pain feels like an acid burn in your stomach, doctors say it happens since stomach acids, enzymes, and other chemicals eat at the wound. Many people also experience indigestion with stomach ulcers – a burning pain with a feeling of fullness. However, other symptoms include:
- Pallor or paleness
- Dizziness and weakness
- Black blood in your poop
- Vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- Sudden, severe abdominal pain that does not go away.
- If you develop any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
What causes stomach ulcers?
The two most common causes of stomach ulcers are the H. pylori bacterial infection and overuse of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Statistics show these two causes together account for about 99 per cent of stomach ulcers.
However, a few other causes include:
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
This is a rare condition that causes your stomach to produce too much gastric acid, which erodes the lining.
Psychological stress
You may develop a stress ulcer if your body is struggling to recover from a life-threatening illness or injury. Severe physiological stress changes your pH balance, making your stomach more acidic.
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