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Do Stomach Ulcers Cause Nausea

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You Bleed When You Use The Bathroom

Do I have a stomach ulcer?

Blood coming from the gastrointestinal tract can signal a variety of underlying health issues, but Dr. Sengupta says when this bleeding is combined with upper abdominal pain, hes highly suspicious that its one of the signs of an ulcer. Many patients notice this blood either when vomiting, or when using the bathroom, as their stools may appear black. If you notice youre suffering from a bleeding GI tract, along with nausea and pain in the stomach or chest, Dr. Sengupta says doctors will often perform a blood test or an upper endoscopywhere they use a camera to look into the stomach itselfto check if an ulcer is the culprit. Blood in your stool can also be due to hemorrhoids or a symptom of colon cancer, so its a good idea to get checked out by your doctor.

How Are Stomach Ulcers Diagnosed

Diagnosis and treatment will depend on your symptoms and the severity of your ulcer. To diagnose a stomach ulcer, your doctor will review your medical history along with your symptoms and any prescription or over-the-counter medications youre taking.

To rule out H. pylori infection, a blood, stool, or breath test may be ordered. With a breath test, youll be instructed to drink a clear liquid and breathe into a bag, which is then sealed. If H. pylori is present, the breath sample will contain higher-than-normal levels of carbon dioxide.

Other tests and procedures used to diagnose stomach ulcers include:

  • Barium swallow: You drink a thick white liquid that coats your upper gastrointestinal tract and helps your doctor see your stomach and small intestine on X-rays.
  • Endoscopy : A thin, lighted tube is inserted through your mouth and into the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. This test is used to look for ulcers, bleeding, and any tissue that looks abnormal.
  • Endoscopic biopsy: A piece of stomach tissue is removed so it can be analyzed in a lab.

What Is Indigestion And What Is An Ulcer

A lesion or sore that develops on the lining of your stomach or in the first part of your small intestine is called an ulcer. Ulcers are usually caused by the bacterium H. pylori or by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen. A lesion can get aggravated by your stomach acid and causes pain and other symptoms.

Indigestion or dyspepsia, on the other hand, describes a chronic or recurring pain in your upper abdomen. Indigestion can be caused by many things, including stress, eating too much, taking certain medications, or having an underlying condition, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or gallbladder disease.

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Chills Nausea Or Vomiting And Upset Stomach

Reviewed on 6/15/2020

Gastroenteritis, food poisoning, cholecystitis from an impacted gallstone, gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, or pancreatitis can cause these symptoms and signs. Call your doctor if it doesn’t get better.

While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:

How Does H Pylori Cause Ulcers

Does An Ulcer Cause Nausea After Eating

Although many people naturally carry H. pylori, it is not clear why the bacteria only cause ulcers in some people. H. pylori spread through food and water. They live in the mucus that coats the lining of the stomach and duodenum, and they produce urease, an enzyme that neutralizes stomach acid by making it less acidic.

To compensate for this, the stomach produces more acid, and this irritates the stomach lining. The bacteria also weaken the defense system of the stomach and causes inflammation. Patients with peptic ulcers caused by H. pylori need treatment to get rid of the bacterium from the stomach, and to prevent them coming back.

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When Should I See A Doctor If I Think I Have A Peptic Ulcer

  • If you have burning pain in your upper stomach that is relieved by eating or taking antacids, call a health-care professional for an appointment. Don’t assume you have an ulcer. Certain other conditions can cause similar symptoms.
  • If you vomit blood or have other signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, go to an emergency department right away. Peptic ulcers can cause massive bleeding, which requires blood transfusion or surgery.
  • Severe abdominal pain suggests perforation or tearing of an ulcer. This is an emergency that may require surgery to fix a hole in your stomach.
  • Vomiting and abdominal pain also can be a sign of an obstruction, another complication of peptic ulcers. This also may require emergency surgery.

What Are The Symptoms Of Peptic Ulcers

Each persons symptoms may vary. In some cases ulcers dont cause any symptoms.

The most common ulcer symptom is a dull or burning pain in your belly between your breastbone and your belly button . This pain often occurs around meal times and may wake you up at night. It can last from a few minutes to a few hours.

Less common ulcer symptoms may include:

  • Feeling full after eating a small amount of food
  • Burping
  • Bloody or black stool
  • Vomiting blood

Peptic ulcer symptoms may look like other health problems. Always see your healthcare provider to be sure.

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When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider

See your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms:

  • Vomiting blood or dark material that looks like coffee grounds
  • Extreme weakness or dizziness
  • Blood in your stools
  • Nausea or vomiting that doesnt get better, or gets worse
  • A sudden, severe pain that may spread to your back
  • Losing weight without even trying

Untreated peptic ulcers may cause other health problems. Sometimes they bleed. If they become too deep, they can break through your stomach.

Ulcers can also keep food from going through your stomach.

Symptoms Of Stomach Ulcers

Real Questions | Stomach Ulcers

A number of symptoms are associated with stomach ulcers. The severity of the symptoms depends on the severity of the ulcer.

The most common symptom is a burning sensation or pain in the middle of your abdomen between your chest and belly button. Typically, the pain will be more intense when your stomach is empty, and it can last for a few minutes to several hours.

Other common signs and symptoms of ulcers include:

  • dull pain in the stomach
  • weight loss
  • heartburn, which is a burning sensation in the chest)
  • pain that may improve when you eat, drink, or take antacids
  • anemia, whose symptoms can include tiredness, shortness of breath, or paler skin
  • dark, tarry stools
  • vomit thats bloody or looks like coffee grounds

Talk to your doctor if you have any symptoms of a stomach ulcer. Even though discomfort may be mild, ulcers can worsen if they arent treated. Bleeding ulcers can become life-threatening.

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Symptoms Of Peptic Ulcer Disease

The most common symptom is a burning pain in your stomach. It usually lasts for a few minutes to a few hours. It comes and goes for days or weeks at a time. The burning typically occurs between meals and at night. Small ulcers may cause no symptoms.

Other symptoms can include:

  • Difficulty drinking as much liquid as usual
  • Hunger or an empty feeling in your stomach after you eat
  • Mild nausea
  • Stomach pain that wakes you up at night

Less common symptoms include:

  • Bleeding
  • Perforation
  • Peritonitis

Peptic Ulcer Disease Treatment

Your doctor may begin by prescribing medicine. Your doctor may suggest other treatments for other causes.

If you have H. pylori, your doctor will treat the infection with triple therapy. This is a combination of 2 antibiotics and bismuth subsalicylate . H. pylori can be stubborn. Take all your medicine as prescribed.

Your doctor may recommend medicines to neutralize your stomach acid. This will protect the lining in your stomach, too. These include:

  • Protein pump inhibitors. This includes esomeprazole or lansoprazole .
  • Histamine receptor blockers. This includes famotidine .
  • Cytoprotective agents. This includes sucralfate .

If NSAIDs cause your ulcer, you may need to stop or reduce the amount you take. You may need to switch to another type of medicine for pain.

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Does Stomach Ulcer Cause Nausea Gas Back Pain Headache

In most cases of stomach ulcer, abdominal pain is the most common symptom. However, not all patients experience the pain in the early stages of the disease. The pain may flare up with other symptoms and discomforts. How about nausea, headache, gas , and back pain? Does the disease also cause these symptoms? If so, how and why?

What are the common symptoms?

After abdominal pain many patients report that they also experience bloating, nausea & vomiting, and heartburn .

And in severe cases, the disease may cause the following problems :

  • Internal bleeding which may be noticed by finding blood in the stool.
  • Weight loss due to changes of appetite or other unknown reasons.
  • More frequent pain of abdomen, especially in the upper to mid abdomen.
  • And bloody vomiting.
  • The link between stomach ulcer and nausea

    Its normal for you to feel nausea at some time in life, such as when getting mild fever or other mild illnesses. But nausea may signal problems affecting your digestive system spastic colon and stomach ulcer.

    Ulcer of the stomach or upper part of small intestine is characterized by the inflammation or open sore that occurs in the lining of stomach or duodenum. This inflammation can affect the mechanisms in digestive system, which may result in nausea.

    Nausea and vomiting without the presence of other stomach ulcer symptoms are less likely associated with stomach ulcers. For accurate diagnosis, see a doctor!

    Does the disease cause gas ?

    How about headache?

    Stomach Ulcer Risk Factors

    Stomach Ulcer: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

    A few risk factors can make it more likely that a peptic ulcer will develop.

    • Smoking especially in people who are already infected with H. pylori
    • Drinking alcohol
    • Having a family history of ulcers

    Additionally, people who take NSAIDs are more likely to develop an ulcer if they:

    • Are over 70 years of age
    • Take high doses of NSAIDs
    • Are female
    • Have a personal history of ulcer disease

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    What Is The Treatment For Peptic Ulcers

    The choice of treatment depends on whether or not the ulcer is caused by infection with H pylori. Correct diagnosis is key to whether a treatment works or not. If the bacteria are the cause, treatment focuses on killing the infection. Regardless of whether the bacteria are the cause, reducing acid in the stomach is another important focus of treatment.

    The following treatments are recommended for ulcers:

    • Lifestyle changes: Quit smoking, avoid alcohol, aspirin, and NSAIDs
    • Acid-blocking medications
    • Medications that protect the lining of the stomach and duodenum
    • “Triple-therapy” or “dual-therapy” regimens for ulcers caused by H pylori

    No single medication works to get rid of H pylori infection. Two combinations have been found that work well in most people.

    These treatments are generally given for two weeks.

    Once H pylori bacteria are eradicated from a person’s digestive tract, usually it will not come back. The ulcers usually heal completely and do not return.

    Treatment for bleeding ulcers depends on the severity of blood loss and includes:

    It is important to remember that treatment may not work if the diagnosis is not correct. If the doctor diagnoses an ulcer, it is important to determine whether the ulcer is caused by infection with H pylori.

    What Tests Diagnose A Peptic Ulcer

    To confirm a person has an ulcer a diagnostic imaging test will usually be ordered. The two most widely used tests are:

    • Upper GI series : This is a type of X-ray. The patient is given a chalky liquid to drink that increases the contrast on the X-ray, making certain features easier to see. Because this liquid contains barium, this test is sometimes called a barium swallow.
    • Endoscopy : An endoscope is a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera at the end. The patient is given a mild sedative, and then the tube is passed through the mouth into the stomach. The doctor can see the lining of the stomach to diagnose a peptic ulcer. Tiny samples of the tissue will be taken , which are examined under a microscope.

    If a diagnostic imaging test reveals an ulcer, the patient will most likely have a test to see if H pylori bacteria are present.

    • It is important to be certain about this, because treatment of the H pylori is likely to heal the ulcer.
    • Ulcers caused by H pylori are treated differently than ulcers caused by medications.

    Three types of tests are available to detect H pylori.

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    When To See A Doctor

    You must be diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, and you have symptoms of anemia, such as fatigue, dizziness, tiredness, weakness, and a pale complexion Your ulcer may be bleeding.

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    You have ulcer symptoms and back pain Your ulcer can perforate the stomach wall.

    You have ulcer symptoms and vomit blood or dark red bloody stools you may have bleeding internally.

    You have an ulcer, and you become cold and clammy and feel faint.

    Ulcers And Back Pain:

    Peptic Ulcers, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

    In some cases, abdominal pain caused by ulcers may radiate to the back and result in mid to low back pain. Usually, such pain lasts for a short duration, but some people experience intermittent back pain for a few days or even weeks. Excruciating and persistent back pain could be a sign of a perforating peptic ulcer that penetrates the pancreas. This condition needs immediate medical assistance in order to avoid further complications. Those who experience back pain due to ulcers may not be able to recall any event or injury that triggered such pain. Sometimes, they may relate the pain with intake of food.

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    Treat Stomach Pain For Good

    Learn more about the various causes of abdominal pain in general by getting in touch with us. At the Gastro Center in New Jersey, we are always ready to help patients learn more about their concerns.

    Book an appointment today and let us diagnose and treat your pain.

    59 Main Street, Suite 1 West Orange, NJ 07052

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    Peptic Ulcer Facts And Picture

    • Peptic ulcer are sores in the lining of the esophagus, stomach or duodenum.
    • The main symptom of a stomach or duodenal ulcer is upper abdominal pain, which can be dull, sharp, or burning .
    • Other associated symptoms may include:
    • Acid reflux or heartburn
    • Feeling satiated when eating
  • Peptic ulcer formation is related to H. pylori bacteria in the stomach and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications in 50% of patients. For the remaining 50% there are miscellaneous causes such as drugs, lifestyle factors , severe physiological stress, and genetic factors, but less frequently the cause is unknown.
  • Ulcer pain may not correlate with the presence or severity of ulceration.
  • Diagnosis of an ulcer can be made with an upper GI series or endoscopy.
  • Treatment of the esophagus, stomach or duodenal ulcersaims to relieve pain, heal the ulcer, and prevent complications. Medical treatment involves antibiotic combinations along with stomach acid suppression medication, for example, antacids, proton pump inhibitors to eradicate H. pylori eliminating precipitating factors such as NSAIDs or suppressing stomach acid alone.
  • Complications of esophageal, duodenal or stomach ulcers include
  • bleeding,
  • perforation, and
  • blockage to the passage of food due to gastric obstruction from the swelling or scaring that surrounds the ulcer.
  • If a person with peptic ulcers smokes or takes NSAIDs, the ulcers may recur after treatment.
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    What Happens When You Start Taking Iron Pills

    In addition to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dark stools, and constipation, iron supplements can also cause side effects. Constipation is a common problem for pregnant women. It is possible to relieve this symptom by adding more fiber to your diet. It is also possible to feel better after using a stool softener.

    How Is Peptic Ulcer Disease Diagnosed

    Stomach Ulcer

    Your doctor will do a physical exam. They will ask you questions about your medical history. Tell your doctor if you take aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen frequently. Your doctor will look for stomach bloating. They will listen to sounds in your stomach with a stethoscope. Your doctor will tap your stomach to check for pain.

    Your doctor may schedule a special procedure to look at your stomach. This is called an endoscopy. For this procedure, youll be given medicine to relax. The medicine may make you fall asleep. The doctor will insert a thin, flexible tube down your throat. A tiny camera on the end of the tube displays the lining of your stomach and duodenum. The doctor may take a sample of your stomach lining . This is done to test for H. pylori. Blood, breath, and stool sample testing can also be used to check for H. pylori.

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    If Your Ulcer Was Caused By An Anti

    If possible, you should stop taking the anti-inflammatory medicine. This allows the ulcer to heal. You will also normally be prescribed an acid-suppressing medicine for several weeks. This stops the stomach from making acid and allows the ulcer to heal. However, in many cases, the anti-inflammatory medicine is needed to ease symptoms of arthritis or other painful conditions, or aspirin is needed to protect against blood clots. In these situations, one option is to take an acid-suppressing medicine each day indefinitely. This reduces the amount of acid made by the stomach and greatly reduces the chance of an ulcer forming again.

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