Complications Of Peptic Ulcers
Left untreated, peptic ulcers can result in severe complications and emergencies.
- Internal bleeding You can have bleeding in your stomach, esophagus, or duodenum when the ulcer opens a blood vessel. Ulcers can cause bleeding that occurs slowly over time or quickly, possibly resulting in hemorrhaging that can be life-threatening due to shock. Sometimes you may not notice a bleeding ulcer until you become anemic, a condition in which your body lacks red blood cells because of inadequate iron. This occurs when ulcers cause chronic, low-grade blood loss.
- A hole, or perforation, in the stomach wall You can develop a perforated ulcer, which means it has eaten through your stomach or intestinal wall.
- Obstruction This is when you have swelling or scarring related to your ulcer that is preventing your food from being digested properly.
The signs that you are having an ulcer emergency are:
- Mental confusion
- Severe abdominal distension
If you think you or someone you know is having an ulcer emergency, seek immediate medical attention.
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How Do You Know That Your Ulceris Healed
Some peoplewith peptic ulcers may not seek medical help until the symptoms become verybothersome. The symptoms may come and go. Interestingly, sometimes the diseaseheals on its own. But this doesnt mean that you can ignore it! Treatment isnecessary even though the disease hasnt caused any symptoms.
Thedisease may turn into serious if left untreated. Even with treatment, sometimesit returns. In worse scenario, the disease becomes resistant or fails to heal.
Thefollowing are some reasons that may lead to a refractory ulcer :
Whatsmore?
Risks And Possible Complications Of Treatment
For endoscopy:
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A hole in your upper digestive tract
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Risks of sedative or anesthesia used
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The ulcer coming back
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Hole in a blood vessel
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Risks of sedative or anesthesia used
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The ulcer coming back
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Damage to nearby organs and blood vessels
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Long-term digestive problems such as irregular bowel movements
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Risks of anesthesia
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You Bleed When You Use The Bathroom
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.
When To See A Doctor
Internal bleeding can be life-threatening and requires immediate action to prevent death or irreversible organ damage.
It is important to call 911 if you or someone you know shows signs of internal bleeding, including:
- Severe abdominal or chest pain
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Lightheadedness or fainting
- Changes in vision
- Changes in mental status
People should also be examined after any sort of trauma, including severe falls or blunt force injuries caused by car accidents or contact sports. These sometimes do not cause outward symptoms until later when the blood loss is severe.
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Mayo Clinic Q And A: How Is A Peptic Ulcer Treated
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Last year,I was diagnosed with heartburn due to a peptic ulcer. My doctor suggested that I see a specialist. Who should I see, and what type of treatment is available?
ANSWER: Many people will note that they have heartburn, and it is important to know that such a symptom could be related to one of several issues in the digestive tract, including peptic ulcer disease. This is where visiting with a health care professional who specializes in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract a gastroenterologist can help.
Once diagnosed and treated, ulcers usually heal within several months. But a gastroenterologist can help you find the underlying cause of your ulcer and decide on the best treatment going forward.
A peptic ulcer is an open sore on the inside lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. Peptic ulcers are not rare, and their frequency can depend on age, gender, other medical issues, medications and geography.
Its possible to have a peptic ulcer and not have any symptoms, although they may cause stomach pain. In some people, a peptic ulcer isnt identified until they experience symptoms related to a complication from an ulcer, such as bleeding or a hole in the lining of the stomach or bowel.
H. pylori is a bacterium that can live in the mucous layer covering the lining of the stomach. It doesnt always lead to health problems, but it can sometimes trigger inflammation of the stomachs inner layer, producing an ulcer.
How Soon After Treatment Will I Feel Better
If you take all medicines as prescribed and avoid irritating the ulcer with NSAIDs, alcohol or smoking, your ulcer should heal well within a few weeks. Surgical cases may take a few weeks more. Your healthcare provider will follow up with you at the end of your course of medication to make sure the ulcer has healed and any infection has cleared. They will probably take follow-up tests, including an upper endoscopy to look at the site of the ulcer and tests for H. pylori, if you had it, to make sure the infection is gone.
Call your GP immediately or go to the emergency department if:
- you have symptoms of severe bleeding
In the hospital, a doctor will do an endoscopy to identify the cause of the bleeding. They can give you treatment during the endoscopy to stop the bleeding.
Your doctor may do a specialised procedure with x-ray guidance to stop a bleeding ulcer. In rare cases, you may need surgery to repair the affected blood vessel.
You may also need blood transfusions to replace the blood you have lost.
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Other Stomach Ulcer Symptoms
Search for diverse symptoms of ulcers that sufferers have reported. These symptoms, dont occur for all everybody. There are ample chances that you may not experience any symptoms at all.
- An increase in the measure of gas and burping.
- A feeling of finishing and a feebleness to drink a respectable measure of liquids.
- Being hungry a couple of hours in the wake of eating a dining experience.
- Mild nausea, most essential on first waking in the morning.
- A general feeling of being tired and not feeling incredible.
- Loss of covetousness.
Bleeding Peptic Ulcer: Treatment
A peptic ulcer is a sore in the lining of your stomach or duodenum . Your ulcer is bleeding or at high risk of bleeding. This means that you need treatment right away. Treatment can include medicines. It may also include a procedure such as endoscopy, angiography, or surgery. Your provider will work with you to decide which treatments are best for you. Read on to learn more about each type of treatment.
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What Can Be Done To Relieve Symptoms
If you believe you may have GI bleeding, its important to talk with a doctor. If the bleeding is serious, you may need emergency care to determine the cause and treat the condition. If your bleeding is serious, you may be admitted to the hospital.
Testing can be useful, not only in diagnosing GI bleeding but also for treating it.
Special scopes with cameras and laser attachments, along with medications, can be used to stop the bleeding. In addition, the doctor can use tools alongside scopes to apply clips to the bleeding vessels to stop the bleeding.
If hemorrhoids are the cause of your bleeding, over-the-counter treatments might work for you. If you find that OTC remedies dont work, a doctor might use a heat treatment to shrink your hemorrhoids, or in severe cases, a surgical procedure to remove them.
Antibiotics can usually treat infections.
What Ulcer Treatments Are Available
If your ulcer is bleeding, your doctor may treat it during an endoscopy procedure by injecting medications into it. Your doctor could also use a clamp or cauterization to seal it off and stop the bleeding.
For most people, doctors treat ulcers with medications, including:
- Proton pump inhibitors : These drugs reduce acid, which allows the ulcer to heal. PPIs include Prilosec®, Prevacid®, Aciphex®, Protonix® and Nexium®.
- Histamine receptor blockers : These drugs also reduce acid production and include Tagamet®, Pepcid®, Zantac® and Axid®.
- Antibiotics: These medications kill bacteria. Doctors use them to treat H. pylori.
- Protective medications: Like a liquid bandage, these medications cover the ulcer in a protective layer to prevent further damage from digestive acids and enzymes. Doctors commonly recommend Carafate® or Pepto-Bismol®.
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Is Banana Good For Ulcer
Both raw and ripe bananas are found to be very beneficial in curing stomach ulcer. There are certain antibacterial compounds in bananas that inhibit the growth of ulcer-causing H. pylori. Bananas are best to clear out the acidity of gastric juices that lowers the inflammation and strengthens the stomach lining.
What Causes Gi Bleeding
Many conditions can cause GI bleeding. A doctor can try to find the cause of your bleeding by finding its source. The following conditions, which are listed in alphabetical order, include possible causes of GI bleeding:
Angiodysplasia. Angiodysplasia is when you have abnormal or enlarged blood vessels in your GI tract. These blood vessels can become fragile and bleed.
Benign tumors and cancer.Benign tumors and cancer in the esophagus, stomach, colon, or rectum may cause bleeding when they weaken the lining of the GI tract. A benign tumor is an abnormal tissue growth that is not cancerous.
Colitis. Ulcers in the large intestine are a complication of colitis. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause GI bleeding.
Colon polyps.Colon polyps can cause GI bleeding. You can have more than one colon polyp at a time. Some types of polyps may be cancerous or can become cancerous.
Diverticular disease.Diverticular disease can cause GI bleeding when small pouches, or sacs, form and push outward through weak spots in your colon wall.
Esophageal varices.Esophageal varices can cause GI bleeding. Esophageal varices are usually related to a chronic liver condition called cirrhosis.
Esophagitis. The most common cause of esophagitis is gastroesophageal reflux . GER happens when your lower esophageal sphincter is weak or relaxes when it should not. Stomach acid can damage your esophagus and cause sores and bleeding.
Gastritis. Some common causes of gastritis include
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How Will My Doctor Treat My Stomach Ulcer
Most stomach ulcers take 1-2 months to heal and your doctor/gastroenterologist will prescribe you the treatment based on the cause of your ulcer.
- Your doctor will assess your family history, dietary history, diseases, and medication history and examine your tummy to address the cause of your stomach ulcer.
- Your doctor will discuss with you the side effects of the painkillers and analgesics, which you may be taking, and whether you should keep using them or stop them.
- Your doctor may advise you to stop smoking, stop alcohol consumption, lose some weight, and avoid some trigger foods, such as spicy and fatty food.
- Your doctor may prescribe an alternative painkiller, analgesic, or anti-inflammatory medications, such as Paracetamol.
- Your doctor will prescribe you proton pump inhibitors and antacids to reduce the amount of acid production and some antibiotics for up to 2 weeks to treat H pylori infection.
- Your doctor will prescribe probiotics, which will help to grow good bacteria in your gut and may be useful in killing H pylori bacteria.
- Your doctor may prescribe you bismuth supplements.
- Your doctor may have another endoscopy to check stomach ulcers several weeks after treatment to make sure that the ulcer is gone because a very small number of stomach ulcers might contain cancer.
If the underlying cause is not addressed properly, the stomach ulcer may recur even after the treatment.
Who Is More Likely To Get Ulcers
One in 10 people develops an ulcer. Risk factors that make ulcers more likely include:
- Frequent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , a group of common pain relievers that includes ibuprofen .
- A family history of ulcers.
- Illness such as liver, kidney or lung disease.
- Regularly drinking alcohol.
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Could I Have An Ulcer And Not Know It
5 min Read Time
Around 25 million people will have a stomach ulcer in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite their prevalence, the symptoms of an ulcer can frequently be mistaken for other conditions, like heartburnand some people may not show any signs at all. Its also unlikely that stress or your diet is the culprit. If youre concerned that your stomach pain could be something more serious, read on to find out the causes, proper treatment and prevention methods for peptic ulcers.
How Are Leg Ulcers Diagnosed
- A physical examination is the most common way to diagnose it.
- A doppler machine can also be used to diagnose leg ulcers based on the blood supply to your legs.
- In some cases, your doctor may refer you to a vascular specialist if he is not able to confirm your condition.
Once you are diagnosed with leg ulcers, you tend to look for different options to treat the condition. And what could be better than being able to do so naturally? Listed below are some of the best home remedies that can help you in treating leg ulcers naturally.
What You Have To Do
How Often You Should Do This
Do this 2-3 times daily.
Why This Works
Aloe vera is a therapeutic herb that is widely used to treat various ailments. It is extremely effective in healing leg ulcers as it not only inhibits the growth of bacteria but also prevents further infection . It contains compounds like anthraquinones and certain hormones that are said to render wound healing properties to it .
What You Have To Do
How Often You Should Do This
Do this at least 2-3 times daily.
Why This Works
What You Have To Do
How Often You Should Do This
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When To See The Doctor
Peptic ulcers will get worse if theyre not treated, so contact your doctor if you have symptoms or any signs that you could have one. Unfortunately, a lot of the time the way people find out they have an ulcer is by developing bleedstheyre taking a lot of aspirin or NSAIDS and they either start vomiting blood or have black tarry stool, says Marcus.
Your doctor may be able to diagnose a peptic ulcer by talking with you about your symptoms. Be sure to disclose the frequency of NSAID use.
However, some tests are usually used to confirm the diagnosis. For instance, to see if you have an H. pylori infection, your doctor will test your blood, breath or stool. They may also look inside your stomach and duodenum by doing an endoscopy or X-ray. An endoscopy is a procedure where a lighted tube is inserted through the throat and into the stomach to check for abnormalities.
What Exactly Is A Stomach Ulcer
Stomach, or peptic, ulcers are open sores that develop on the inside lining of your stomach or the upper portion of your small intestine. This occurs when the thick layer of mucus that protects your stomach from digestive juices is diminished, which then enables digestive acids to eat away at the tissues that line your stomach, causing an ulcer.
According to Medscape, peptic ulcers are almost equally as common in men and women.
There are two types of peptic ulcers:
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How To Diagnose The Difference Between Acid Reflux And An Ulcer
When your stomach hurts, everything you do is that much harder. The pain itself is distracting, as is worry over finding the cause. Acid reflux and ulcers are common ailments that can sometimes be confused, because both cause pain in the stomach area. While ulcers do not cause acid reflux, these conditions sometimes occur together. Doctors rely primarily on your symptoms and tests to diagnose acid reflux versus an ulcer. The causes and treatments for ulcers and acid reflux differ, so an accurate diagnosis is important to determine the best treatment.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.