Dear Doctor;I neither drink nor smoke. And I rarely skip my meals but of recent, I have been feeling terrible pangs in the stomach. Could it be ulcers like my friends say? What could cause me ulcers considering I take my meals regularly? Jean P. 37Dear Jean, Ulcers in the stomach can be for multiple reasons. Drinking, smoking and skipping meals are few of them. Apart from them, taking very spicy food, physical or mental stress can also result in ulcers.But all pangs in stomach are not necessarily ulcers. Just indigestion, excess gases formed after food can also result in abdominal discomfort and pain after meals. Even infections  of stomach and or intestines like  those  caused  by worms or protozoa like amoeba or giardia may manifest as only pain in the stomach. Learn to be relaxed and get a stool sample examined. Meanwhile you can take a syrup or tablet containing aluminium hydroxide and dimethicone for some days to get relief.  Some people also get benefit by drinking lukewarm water with few drops of fresh lemon juice.