What Is A Gastric Ulcer And What Is Its Cause

What Are Some Ulcer Symptoms

Some people with ulcers dont experience any symptoms. But signs of an ulcer can include:

• Gnawing or burning pain in your middle or upper stomach between meals or at night.
• Pain that temporarily disappears if you eat something or take an antacid.
• Bloating.

In severe cases, symptoms can include:

• Dark or black stool .
• Vomiting.
• Severe pain in your mid- to upper abdomen.

Treatments For Stomach Ulcers

Most peptic ulcers take a month or two to heal with treatment. Theres a small chance that they may come back in the future.

If the cause of your ulcer is an H. pylori bacterial infection, your doctor will prescribe you antibiotics to kill off the infection. This also reduces your chances of developing another ulcer in the future.

Stomach ulcers caused by NSAIDs are treated with a medication called proton pump inhibitors . This medication helps to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach, allowing the ulcer to heal. Your doctor may also recommend that you take paracetamol instead of NSAIDs.

How Can I Prevent Ulcers

You may be able to prevent ulcers from forming if you:

• Talk to your doctor about alternatives to NSAID medications to relieve pain.
• Discuss protective measures with your doctor, if you cant stop taking an NSAID.
• Opt for the lowest effective dose of NSAID and take it with a meal.
• Quit smoking.
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.

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What Are The Treatments For A Stomach Ulcer

Treatment for a stomach ulcer depends, in part, on the cause. If nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the probable cause, stopping use will help the ulcer heal. If you normally take NSAIDs for a chronic condition, ask your doctor about alternate anti-inflammatory drugs.

If the cause is Helicobacter pylori bacterial infection, therapy is the mainstay of treatment. It is important to follow the antibiotic regimen precisely to avoid reinfection or recurrence. Most commonly, two antibiotics are prescribed for 14 days.

Antibiotic treatments to treat H. pylori infection include:

• Do not smoke: Smoking affects how the digestive system neutralizes stomach acid and inhibits healing.

• Limit or do not drink alcohol. This drug irritates the lining of the digestive tract.

• Relax. Even though emotional stress does not cause ulcers, stress can interfere with recovery. Practice stress reduction techniques, such as exercise, meditation, and get togethers with friends.

• Take acetaminophen for pain and . It is safer to take acetaminophen than ibuprofen and other NSAIDs for pain relief and fever when you have a stomach ulcer or if you develop frequent ulcers. NSAIDs are very effective, but they increase the risk of bleeding.

Ingestible Causes Of Ulcers In Dogs

• Plants and Human Foods that are Toxic including mushrooms, castor beans, sago palm, spicy foods, mistletoe, Jerusalem Cherry, daffodil, onions, chives, garlic, and oysters.
• Pesticide Toxicity
• Rodenticide Toxicity Mouse and rat poison
• Insecticide Toxicity Sprays, bait stations, and spot on flea/tick treatments
• Chemical Poisons Ethylene glycol & Phenols
• Heavy Metal Poisons Lead, Zinc, Iron, and Arsenic
• Prescription and Nonprescription Drugs for Humans Anti-inflammatory medications, pain medications, corticosteroids
• Prescription Drugs for Dogs Pain relievers, particularly COX-2 inhibitors (Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Flunixin Meglumine, and Previcox
• Ingestion of sharp objects

Note: There are many common household items and plants that are poisonous to dogs that you should be cautious of in and around your home. If those are too much reading, heres a fairly comprehensive list covering the most common of both.

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How Can Stomach Ulcers Be Prevented

The best way to prevent stomach ulcers is to avoid the things that cause them. This means not taking NSAIDs if you dont need them, avoiding alcohol, and quitting smoking. You can also reduce your risk of stomach ulcers by eating a healthy diet and managing your stress levels. Taking probiotics may also help to protect against stomach ulcers. If you are taking NSAIDs, your doctor may also recommend that you take a stomach protector like misoprostol or omeprazole to help reduce your risk of developing an ulcer. If you have any questions about stomach ulcers, please talk to your doctor. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the best treatment options.

How Are Ulcers Diagnosed

Your healthcare provider may be able to make the diagnosis just by talking with you about your symptoms. If you develop an ulcer and youre not taking NSAIDs, the cause is likely an H. pylori infection. To confirm the diagnosis, youll need one of these tests:

Endoscopy

If you have severe symptoms, your provider may recommend an upper endoscopy to determine if you have an ulcer. In this procedure, the doctor inserts an endoscope through your throat and into your stomach to look for abnormalities.

H. Pylori tests

Tests for H. pylori are now widely used and your provider will tailor treatment to reduce your symptoms and kill the bacteria. A breath test is the easiest way to discover H. pylori. Your provider can also look for it with a blood or stool test, or by taking a sample during an upper endoscopy.

Imaging tests

Less frequently, imaging tests such as X-rays and CT scans are used to detect ulcers. You have to drink a specific liquid that coats the digestive tract and makes ulcers more visible to the imaging machines.

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Peptic Ulcer Vs Stomach Ulcer

• Doctors may often use terms like stomach ulcer, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, and peptic ulcer to describe the one you are suffering from. It may leave you confused and make you comprehend all of them as alternative names for the same problem. However, that’s not the actual case.

• Stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer are two forms of Peptic ulcer. Peptic ulcers got branched into these two segments depending on the part of the body it affects. Lets know their definition.

• Peptic Ulcer: The soreness develops on the inner lining of one’s stomach or the initial portion of the small intestine. It is classified into two types:

Among these, we only emphasize stomach ulcers here.

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.

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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.

Symptoms Of Gastric Ulcer

The symptoms of gastric ulcer sometimes worsen after feeding, even when the person makes use of medications that control digestion. The main symptoms of gastric ulcer are:

• Pain-shaped strong abdominal pain, which worsens by eating or drinking
• Dor in the form of burning in the mouth of the stomach
• Enjoo
• Abdominal strain
• Sangraments on the stomach wall, which can cause blood to the stool, visible or identified in the blood research exam in the stools.

Also important to remember that, in addition to gastric ulcer, can-form a duodenal ulcer, located in the first portion of the intestine, which usually causes symptoms in the periods in fasting or during the night. Know

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What Is Peptic Ulcer

The article begins by discussing the definition and then relates this to the topic of peptic ulcer. The article discusses the different types and symptoms of stomach ulcers and how it is diagnosed. Some helpful stretches and exercises are listed in the conclusion to help one reduce their risk of developing an ulcer or recurrence.

A peptic ulcer is a common type of stomach ulcer that forms on the stomach lining. There are several different types of peptic ulcers in particular, an ulcer in your stomachs inner lining is called a gastric ulcer, while an ulcer in the junction where two layers of your stomach meet is called an oesophageal or duodenal ulcer. undefined

How Can It Be Prevented

A gastric ulcer is known to get worse with alcohol and tobacco use. In the past it was thought that it was caused by eating too much spicy food. Now we know that stress can be a contributing factor.

A person can live with an ulcer, they normally heal between eight and ten weeks. By following a balanced diet, and dropping habits such as smoking, coffee, alcohol, and chocolate consumption, can prevent an ulcer forming. Not eating too late at night can also help.

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How Do Doctors Diagnose A Stomach Ulcer

Your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask you about your medical history and any medications you may be taking. You may be asked to describe the stomach pain that you are feeling, for example, whether it is a dull pain or a sharp pain. If there is blood in your vomit or stool, this can also help them make an accurate diagnosis as these are common signs of stomach ulcers.

You might need tests like endoscopy, a procedure where they insert a long, thin, flexible tube with a camera on the end through your stomach to see what is going on, or an upper gastrointestinal series where you swallow barium, called a barium swallow, and they take an X-ray of the stomach and digestive tract. The doctor may also perform an endoscopic biopsy where they take a tissue sample from your stomach and analyze it. Blood, stool, and breath tests are also common to test for the H. pylori bacterium to ensure it is not an H. pylori infection.

What Are The Symptoms Of Gastric Ulcer

Pain- Pain is felt on left side in front of abdomen below the rib cage. Pain is severe on an empty stomach. Pain is felt dull, mild and continuous after food intake in most individual suffering with gastric ulcers. Character of pain is burning pain. Pain is the most common single symptoms observed if patient is suffering from gastric ulcer. Severe penetrating pain is often felt when stomach is empty. The severe pain is caused by acidic gastric secretion observed in higher volume before lunch or dinner. The gastric secretion becomes acidic when not diluted by food. Thus volume of low pH gastric juice is higher when stomach is empty and pain felt is severe as well as stabbing or penetrating in nature. Such pain is observed before breakfast, lunch or dinner. Patient feels better after consumption of food.

Weight Loss- Symptoms of weight loss is observed in patient suffering with prolonged gastric ulcer. The cause of weight loss is low food intake caused due to continuous stomach pain as well as anxiety and loss of appetite.

Hemoptysis- The prolonged standing deep ulcer causes erosion of mucosa and bleeding. The ulcer and pain often delays gastric emptying time. The retained stomach contained with blood in few cases regurgitate in mouth and spitted out. The symptoms is known as hemoptysis.

Melena- It is the symptom observed in few cases when occult blood is observed in stool.

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How Is Gastric Ulcer Diagnosed

Barium Enema- Barium enema is a radiological study. Barium is radio opaque. The bulk of barium is ingested as a barium meal. The barium spreads along the mucosa of stomach. After 1 hour of ingestion of barium multiple images of stomach is taken and studied. The breech in mucosal lining suggests presence of gastric ulcer.

Endoscopy Study- Endoscope is a tubular and linear camera. The cylindrical long camera passed through mouth into stomach. The physician observes the gastric mucosa through eye piece, which lies on opposite end. In most cases physician is able to see the ulcer and take pictures. Endoscopic study of stomach is known as gastroscopy. Gastroscopy is reliable study to diagnose gastric ulcer.

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How Common Are Stomach Ulcers

It’s not known exactly how common stomach ulcers are. They have become much less common since the 1980s because of much more effective treatments. So people with stomach ulcers now usually get better much more quickly.

The term ‘peptic ulcer’ is used to describe ulcers that are caused by too much acid in the stomach. This includes stomach ulcers and also ulcers in the first part of the gut known as the duodenum. Stomach ulcers are less common than duodenal ulcers.

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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.

How Does A Stomach Ulcer Affect Quality Of Life

Stomach ulcers are a form of peptic ulcer disease, which includes ulcers in the stomach or first part of the small intestine . Duodenal ulcers are more common than stomach ulcers. Some people with peptic ulcer disease recover but develop recurrent ulcers. It is considered a chronic disease.

Peptic ulcers decrease quality of life physically, psychologically and behaviorally, all of which can negatively interfere with how the individual manages the disease. Both the disease and its treatment have negative consequences. It can lead to decreased productivity, increased expenses, and changes in social interactions.

Understanding more about quality of life in relation to the disease and treatment side effects can help both patients and providers develop an effective treatment plan, which will increase the likelihood of recovery.

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What Is A Peptic Ulcer

A peptic ulcer is an open sore at the junction of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. It is caused by an infection or irritation in this area, which can lead to pain, vomiting, heartburn, and bleeding. A peptic ulcer occurs when there is too much acid in the stomach that irritates the lining of the stomach wall.

A peptic ulcer is a sore in the lining of your stomach or small intestine that usually causes pain, frequent burping, nausea, and vomiting. The ulcer usually does not go away on its own, but instead will heal by covering itself with scar tissue. A peptic ulcer is a type of infection or inflammation in a part of the stomach, the duodenum, and the lower parts of the small intestine. These peptic ulcers can result from a virus, bacteria, or medications such as NSAIDs.

The pyloric valve is an important part of the stomach that divides it into two chambers. When this valve becomes damaged, acid can leak out from one side of the stomach and lead to an ulcer

How Do H Pylori Cause A Peptic Ulcer And Peptic Ulcer Disease

H. pylori are spiral-shaped bacteria that can cause peptic ulcer disease by damaging the mucous coating that protects the lining of the stomach and duodenum. Once H. pylori have damaged the mucous coating, powerful stomach acid can get through to the sensitive lining. Together, the stomach acid and H. pylori irritate the lining of the stomach or duodenum and cause a peptic ulcer.

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