You have a peptic ulcer if you get open sores in the lining of your stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. That happens when your stomach acids etch away your digestive tract’s
protective layer of mucus. You may have no symptoms, or you may feel discomfort or burning pain. Peptic ulcers can lead to internal bleeding, which sometimes can mean you’ll need blood transfusions in the hospital. You can have two types of peptic ulcer disease: You can have ulcers at any age, but your chances go up as you get older. 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: You’ll most likely feel a burning pain or discomfort between your belly button
and breastbone. You might especially notice it on an empty stomach -- such as between meals or at night. The pain may stop for a little while if you eat or take an antacid, but then return. The pain can last for a few minutes or a few hours, and may come and go for many days or weeks. Other symptoms may include: Small ulcers may not cause any
symptoms. But if you notice any of these signs, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, whether you take NSAIDs and other drugs, and medical history. They’ll also check you for bloating in the belly and pain. That may be enough to make a
diagnosis. The only way your doctor can tell for sure if you have an ulcer is to look. They may use a series of X-rays or a test called an endoscopy. This test allows them to pass a thin, bendy tube down your throat and into your stomach and small intestine. The tube has a camera at the end so they can check the lining for ulcers. They may
also take a small piece of the lining to test for H. pylori. Blood, breath, and stool sample tests also can screen for the bacteria. Some peptic ulcers heal on their own. But if you don’t treat them, the ulcers tend to come back. They can erode the blood vessel wall in your stomach
or small intestine. The ulcers also can eat a hole through the lining and get infected. Or they can cause swelling, which may block food from moving from your stomach into your small intestine. If H. pylori is the culprit, your doctor may prescribe a mix of antibiotics to kill it. If aspirin and other NSAIDs are behind the ulcer, you may need to cut down on them, stop taking them altogether, or switch to another pain reliever. Your doctor may also give you antacids to fight stomach acid, or prescribe medicine to lessen the acid your body makes. Prescription drugs called cytoprotective agents can help protect the lining of the stomach or small intestine so the ulcer can heal. While stress and spicy foods can make symptoms of a peptic ulcer worse, they don’t 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 (NSAIDs) 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:
To lower your chances for peptic ulcers while you take NSAIDs:
While you're on NSAIDs, you can take medicine to lower the amount of acid your stomach makes. Drugs that can do that include:
You can also take the drug misoprostol (Cytotec) to boost the amount of protective mucus your stomach makes. But that can cause side effects like diarrhea and stomach cramps. Don’t smoke, and limit alcohol. These two habits make you more likely to get peptic ulcers. Both thin the mucus lining that protects your stomach from acid, leading to more acid. Ask your doctor to recommend a program to help you quit smoking. And talk with them about how much alcohol is safe for you to drink. Manage stress. Stress can make the symptoms of a peptic ulcer worse. Figure out what’s causing issues for you and see how you can deal with it better. For example, getting enough sleep can help with that. It also can boost your immune system. Consider probiotics. Millions of bacteria normally live in your gut. Some, like H. pylori, cause disease. Others are good for you because they help crowd out harmful bacteria. These helpful bacteria are called probiotics. They’re still being studied, but researchers think they may help with peptic ulcers. You can find them in foods like these:
Prevent H. pylori infection. About two-thirds of people around the world have this type of infection, but most don’t get ulcers because of it. Doctors don’t know how you can avoid H. pylori, but they think it spreads from person to person or through food or water. You can do some things to make an infection less likely:
What signs support the client's diagnosis of gastric ulcers?Common signs and symptoms include:. Epigastric abdominal pain.. Bloating.. Abdominal fullness.. Nausea and vomiting.. Weight loss/weight gain.. Hematemesis.. Melena.. What the three main symptoms associate with stomach ulcer?The most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is a burning or gnawing pain in the centre of the tummy (abdomen). But stomach ulcers aren't always painful and some people may experience other symptoms, such as indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux and feeling sick.
How do you confirm peptic ulcer disease?How do doctors diagnose a peptic ulcer? Your doctor will use information from your medical history, a physical exam, and tests to diagnose an ulcer and its cause. The presence of an ulcer can only be determined by looking directly at the stomach with endoscopy or an X-ray test.
What are emergency signs of peptic ulcer disease that indicate a person should get to the hospital immediately?Peptic ulcers may lead to emergency situations. Severe abdominal pain with or without evidence of bleeding may indicate a perforation of the ulcer through the stomach or duodenum. Vomiting of a substance that resembles coffee grounds, or the presence of black tarry stools, may indicate serious bleeding.
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