What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Ulcer

What Are The Symptoms Of Any Complications

Stomach ulcers can cause various complications but these are much less common now because of more effective treatments. However, complications can be very serious and include:

Bleeding from the ulcer

• This can range from a ‘trickle’ to a life-threatening bleed.
• If there is sudden heavy bleeding then this will cause you to vomit blood and make you feel very faint.
• Less sudden bleeding may cause you to vomit and the vomit looks coffee-coloured because the stomach acid has partly broken down the blood.
• A more gradual trickle of blood will pass through your gut and cause your stools to look very dark in colour or even black .

PerforationThis is the term used to describe the ulcer having gone all the way through the wall of the stomach. Food and acid in the stomach then leak out of the stomach. This usually causes severe pain and makes you very unwell. Stomach perforation is a medical emergency and needs hospital treatment as soon as possible.

Stomach blockageThis is now rare. An ulcer at the end of the stomach can cause the outlet of the stomach to narrow and cause an obstruction. This can cause frequent severe vomiting.

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

What Are Peptic Ulcers

Peptic ulcers are open, painful sores that affect the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine, called the duodenum . Ulcers in the stomach are also called stomach ulcers or gastric ulcers. Those in the duodenum are also called duodenal ulcers. Peptic ulcers are rare in kids.

In the past, peptic ulcers could last for several years or even a lifetime. But a better understanding of what causes them and how to treat them means that most can be cured.

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Are There Foods I Should Avoid If I Have A Stomach Ulcer

Interestingly, there is no specific diet that a person with ulcers needs to follow. The current recommendations are less about the foods you should avoid and more about foods that will help you lessen the risk of developing an ulcer in the first place.

If youve developed a stomach ulcer or are at risk of developing one, you should include more of these foods in your diet:

• Fruits and vegetables that are full of antioxidants that are anti-inflammatory
• Nuts, halibut, and yellowfin tuna, which all have selenium to enhance your ability to heal
• Probiotics that have active bacterial properties, such as yogurt, to improve digestion
• Spinach, oysters, and beef, which contain zinc to help you maintain a healthy immune system

Plenty of water, leafy greens, and fermented probiotic foods have all clinically been shown to help lessen your risk of developing ulcers. During the holiday season, you will want to take additional care of yourself and pay attention to your stress levels. Talk with your doctor about whether adding a probiotic supplement could also help you.

On the other hand, if you have acid reflux in addition to a stomach ulcer, there are foods that may trigger your acid reflux. In these instances, its a good idea to avoid alcohol and coffee, as well as spicy and acidic foods, which could cause your discomfort to increase.

What Is The Treatment For Ulcers

If you have ulcer symptoms, see your doctor. Prompt treatment can prevent excessive bleeding and other complications.

Ulcers are usually diagnosed after an upper GI endoscopy . An endoscope is a long flexible tube with a light and camera on the end. The tube is inserted into your throat, then to the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine. Learn how to prepare for an endoscopy here.

Generally performed as an outpatient procedure, it allows the doctor to locate and identify problems in the stomach and upper intestine.

Bleeding ulcers must be addressed quickly, and treatment can start during the initial endoscopy. If bleeding from ulcers is found during the endoscopy, the doctor can:

• inject medication directly
• cauterize the ulcer to stop the bleeding
• clamp off the bleeding vessel

If you have an ulcer, youll be tested for H. pylori. This can be done using a tissue sample taken during the endoscopy. It can also be accomplished with noninvasive tests such as a stool sample or breath test.

If you have the infection, antibiotics and other drugs can help fight the bacteria and ease symptoms. To be certain you get rid of it, you must finish taking the medication as directed, even if your symptoms stop.

If your ulcers are the result of taking too many NSAIDs, work with your doctor to find another medication to treat pain.

Over-the-counter antacids sometimes relieve symptoms. Ask your doctor if its okay to take antacids.

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Common Symptoms Of Peptic Ulcer And When To Seek Medical Help

The very mention of the word ulcer is likely to cause an internal, evidently physical discomfort. Thats exactly what peptic ulcers do. They cause a difficult-to-ignore burning pain in your stomach, sometimes in the dead of night, capable of stirring you awake. Misjudging this pain to be a simple case of indigestion may be your natural reaction. However, if this has been happening frequently, do not carelessly dismiss it because pain is your bodys way of signaling you to take care of yourself.

To make some sense and understand where the malfunction lies, we first need to understand what peptic ulcers are.

When To Seek Medical Advice

You should visit your GP if you think you may have a stomach ulcer.

Seek urgent medical advice if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• vomiting blood the blood can appear bright red or have a dark brown, grainy appearance, similar to coffee grounds
• passing dark, sticky, tar-like stools
• a sudden, sharp pain in your tummy that gets steadily worse

These could be a sign of a serious complication, such as internal bleeding.

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What Causes Peptic Ulcers

Ulcers form when digestive juices damage the walls of the stomach or small intestine. If the mucus layer gets too thin or your stomach makes too much acid, your gut will feel it. The two major causes are:

• Bacteria. Itâs called Helicobacter pylori , and as many as half of us carry it. Most people infected with H. pylori do not get ulcers. But in others, it can raise the amount of acid, break down the protective mucus layer, and irritate the digestive tract. Experts arenât sure how H. pylori infection spreads. They think it may pass from person to person through close contact, like kissing. You may also get it from unclean food and water.
• Certain pain relievers. If youâve been taking aspirin often and for a long time, youâre more likely to get a peptic ulcer. The same is true for other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . They include ibuprofen and naproxen. NSAIDs block your body from making a chemical that helps protect the inner walls of your stomach and small intestine from stomach acid. Other types of pain meds, such as acetaminophen, wonât lead to peptic ulcers.
• Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol also can make you more likely to get ulcers. Stress and eating a lot of spicy food donât cause ulcers, as experts once thought. But they can make ulcers worse and harder to treat.

How To Recognize The Signs Of An Ulcer

How to recognize the signs of an ulcer? Signs and symptoms of a peptic ulcer. The main symptom of a peptic ulcer is a burning sensation in the abdomen, which can be felt from the belly button up to the chest. This burning sensation can vary in intensity and may change from the moment you wake up to when you go back to sleep. In its early stage, a small peptic ulcer may be symptomless.

What are the signs of an ulcer in your stomach? 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.

Do you know all the symptoms of a bleeding ulcer? A bleeding ulcer may require surgery. Severe stomach discomfort, nausea, dizziness, and low blood pressure may be signs of a bleeding ulcer. Intestinal upset can be a sign of a bleeding ulcer.

What does ulcer feel like in stomach? A stomach ulcer usually feels like burning, gnawing or aching pain anywhere from the navel to the breastbone. This pain can last a few minutes to several hours, and typically is worse when the stomach is empty.

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Treatment For A Stomach Ulcer

Special diets are now known to have very little impact on the prevention or treatment of stomach ulcers. Treatment options can include:

• medication including antibiotics, to destroy the H. pylori colony, and drugs to help speed the healing process. Different drugs need to be used in combination some of the side effects can include diarrhoea and rashes. Resistance to some of these antibiotics is becoming more common
• subsequent breath tests used to make sure the H. pylori infection has been treated successfully
• changes to existing medication the doses of arthritis medication, aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medication can be altered slightly to reduce their contributing effects on the stomach ulcer.
• reducing acid tablets are available to reduce the acid content in the gastric juices
• lifestyle modifications including quitting cigarettes, since smoking reduces the natural defences in the stomach and impairs the healing process.

What Natural Home Remedies Help Peptic Ulcer Pain

Home care for peptic ulcers often centers on neutralizing the stomach acid.

• Dont smoke, and avoid coffee and alcohol. These habits increase gastric acid production and weaken the mucosal barrier of the GI tract promoting ulcer formation and slowing ulcer healing.
• Dont take aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Acetaminophen is a good substitute for some conditions. If acetaminophen doesnt help, talk to your health-care professional about alternatives.
• If your symptoms are mild, try an over-the-counter antacid or nonprescription histamine blocker to neutralize stomach acid. Usually stronger prescription medications are needed.

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When To See A Healthcare Provider/go To The Hospital

You may feel relief with an antacid, but you should not ignore symptoms of a peptic ulcer. If you have persistent symptoms for longer than a week, it is best to see your healthcare provider. He or she will determine whether you need prescription medications and whether you have complications, such as bleeding or anemia.

Make an appointment with your healthcare provider if you have:

• Pain that radiates to the back
• Pain that doesn’t go away when you take medication
• Unintended weight loss

• Vomiting blood
• Sudden, severe pain in the abdominal area
• Fever
• Loss of consciousness

How Are Stomach Ulcers Diagnosed

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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.

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What Kind Of Doctor Treats Peptic Ulcers

• If you suspect you may have a peptic ulcer, you may first be diagnosed by your family practitioner or internist.
• Children or teenagers may see a pediatrician.
• For further treatment you will likely be referred to a gastroenterologist, a specialist in disorders of the digestive tract.
• If you have an emergency such as vomiting or severe abdominal pain you will be seen by an emergency medicine specialist in an emergency room.
• In the rare case where surgery is needed, you may see a general surgeon.

Can You Prevent A Peptic Ulcer

While stress and spicy foods can make symptoms of a peptic ulcer worse, they donât seem to make you more likely to have one. But a few other things can raise your chances.

Be careful when you take pain relievers. Some people who have arthritis or other conditions that cause chronic pain take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for weeks or months at a time to ease pain and swelling. These medicines can affect the mucus that protects your stomach against acid and make you more likely to have peptic ulcers.

These pain relievers include:

You’re more likely to get an ulcer while taking one of these if you:

• Are over age 65
• Are infected with H. pylori bacteria
• Take more than one NSAID at a time
• Have had a peptic ulcer in the past
• Also take a steroid drug or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

To lower your chances for peptic ulcers while you take NSAIDs:

• Use the lowest possible dose to control your symptoms, and stop taking them as soon as you no longer need them.
• Take your medicine with food.
• Don’t drink alcohol while youâre taking these medicines.

While you’re on NSAIDs, you can take medicine to lower the amount of acid your stomach makes. Drugs that can do that include:

• H2 blockers such as cimetidine , famotidine , and nizatidine

You can also take the drug misoprostol to boost the amount of protective mucus your stomach makes. But that can cause side effects like diarrhea and stomach cramps.

You can do some things to make an infection less likely:

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Sudden Severe Abdominal Pain

The first symptom of a perforated peptic ulcer is usually sudden, severe, sharp pain in the abdomen 1. The experience is typically so intense that most people precisely recall the exact moment the pain began. The pain is typically at its maximum immediately and persists. It is characteristically made worse by any movement, and greatly intensifies with coughing or sneezing. The pain is often generalized throughout the abdomen, but is sometimes focused in the upper abdomen. It may radiate to the shoulders or, less commonly, the hips.

• The first symptom of a perforated peptic ulcer is usually sudden, severe, sharp pain in the abdomen 1.
• The pain is often generalized throughout the abdomen, but is sometimes focused in the upper abdomen.

What Are Stomach Ulcers

Stomach ulcers, also called peptic ulcers, are open sores that can develop in the inside lining of your stomach. They can also form on the upper section of your small intestine.

Peptic ulcers have different names depending on where theyre located in the body: gastric ulcersif they are in the stomach, and duodenal ulcers when they are in the small intestine.

Stomach ulcers happen when the acid in your digestive track eats at the inner surface of the organ, causing a sore to form. Just like a sore on the outside of the body, this can be painful and difficult to heal. Normally, the digestive tract of the body is coated with a thick mucus layer that prevents this from occurring. When the acid level increases or this mucus thins, you could develop an ulcer.

The acidity and weakening of the stomach lining that leads to ulcers can be caused by several things:

• A bacterium called Helicobacter pylori
• Factors like genetics, smoking, certain diets, or habitual stress. Certain seasons, such as the winter holidays, can also increase your chances due to heightened stress and richer food intake
• Long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil or Motrin, which can negatively impact your stomach lining
• As a side-effect of other medications
• A rare disease called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome that leads to hyperacidity

Today, H. pylori causes about 95% of all duodenal ulcers and about 70% of all gastric ulcers.

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