Chukwuma Okoro, a Nigerian doctor and health educator widely known as Aproko Doctor, has warned that rinsing the mouth with untreated borehole water could expose individuals to bacteria linked to stomach ulcers.
Aproko Doctor stated this in a video posted on X on Monday, encouraging people to verify the source and safety of the water they use to rinse their mouths, especially borehole water.
“If the water you use to rinse your mouth is coming from your borehole inside your compound, this particular video is for you,” he said.
He noted that untreated water may harbor bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori, commonly referred to as H. pylori, which is linked to peptic ulcers.
“There are different causes of stomach ulcer, but there’s a very common cause that is caused by a particular bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori.
“Wait a minute. But for the sake of this video, we’ll call it H. pylori.
“This H. pylori will enter inside your stomach, and the layer that is even supposed to protect your stomach, it will destroy it. And then acid will follow, and bam! That damage is what now leads to stomach ulcers,” he said.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases states that among the leading causes of peptic ulcers are H. pylori infection and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen.
The institute further notes that H. pylori can be transmitted through food or water contaminated by the vomit, stool, or saliva of an infected individual.
Aproko Doctor advised that people should pay attention to where the water used for oral hygiene comes from, especially if that water has not been treated.
He said, “One of the places is through contaminated water and food, or places where tap water is not completely or properly treated.”
He also noted that contamination could occur where pipes carrying borehole water were close to pipes connected to a soakaway.
“Or the pipe that carries the borehole water is the same pipe that carries the water to the soakaway. That bacteria can jump from the soakaway pipe into the borehole pipe,” he said.
He urged people who were unsure about the source and safety of their water to treat it before use.
“That’s why I always tell people, if you’re not sure where your tap water is coming from, especially in Nigeria and Africa, where there’s no treatment, it’s coming from a borehole, you need to either boil it, filter it properly, or add some chemical disinfectants so that you can remove at least a huge percentage of the bacteria even before you use it to rinse your mouth.”
According to the World Health Organization, drinking water contaminated with microorganisms can spread a number of diseases, and fecal contamination represents a significant threat to the safety of drinking water.
Its background document on H. pylori likewise observes that fecal-oral transmission is regarded as possible, even though vomit-oral and gastro-oral routes are thought to be the main ways the infection spreads.
Aproko Doctor further pointed to regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, as additional factors linked to ulcers.
“Other things too that can also cause ulcers are taking drugs like NSAIDs, ibuprofen, and diclofenac frequently. If you’re abusing it, if you’re drinking alcohol, if you’re smoking, are you serious?
“Yes, all these things can cause stomach ulcers.”
According to medical guidance, NSAIDs like ibuprofen are frequently responsible for peptic ulcers, and smoking can likewise hinder the healing of ulcers.
Aproko Doctor explained that once a diagnosis is being made, an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy may be performed to inspect the stomach and detect an ulcer.
“The only way to know if you actually have a stomach ulcer or peptic ulcer is for doctors to take one long pipe with a camera at the end of it and put it inside your mouth so that you can actually see it.”
Nevertheless, medical guidance points out that doctors may employ various approaches to identify H. pylori infection and peptic ulcers, such as breath tests, stool tests, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, depending on the situation.
Aproko Doctor further cautioned people against disregarding black or tarry stool, which may be a sign of gastrointestinal bleeding.
“If you also notice that your feces is beginning to look black and look like Kota that they are using to tar roads, that’s a problem.”
The NIDDK includes black or tarry stool among the symptoms that may signal a complication of peptic ulcers, and it advises anyone with such symptoms to get medical help without delay.
He called on people suffering from ongoing stomach pain to seek medical care and to take note of where their water comes from and how it is treated.
