Peptic Ulcers

A peptic ulcer is an ulcerative lesion found in the upper part of the small intestine or the lining of the stomach.

Peptic ulcer disease is of two types. They are:

Duodenal ulcers: Ulcers that are created in the upper part of the small intestine.
Gastric ulcers: Ulcers that are found in the stomach.

Causes

• In most cases, peptic ulcers are caused by the H. pylori bacteria. The infection caused by this bacterium breaks down the stomach or intestinal lining, making them more sensitive to acid, which can further lead to ulcers.
• Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) lower the stomach's resistance to the harmful effects of acid. Usually, ulcers that are caused by NSAID's heal on their own after the medication is discontinued.
• Smoking also increases the risk of an ulcer because of the nicotine in tobacco, which increases the volume and concentration of stomach acid. Smoking can also slow down the healing during ulcer treatment.
• The relationship between ulcers and alcohol is still vague, but it is said that excessive alcohol consumption can irritate and erode the mucous lining of the stomach and increase the amount of stomach acid that is produced.

Symptoms

The most common symptom of peptic ulcer is burning pain. This pain is caused because of the ulcer, where the acid in the stomach further increases the soreness.
The pain usually:

• Travels from your navel to your breastbone
• Gets worse when your stomach is empty
• Lasts for a few minutes to many hours
• Is often relieved by eating food
• Comes for a few weeks and goes away

The other symptoms of peptic ulcers are:

• Weight loss
• Loss of hunger
• Pain in the chest
• Presence of blood in the vomit or tool
• Bloating

Diagnosis

If you experience any of the symptoms above, it is advisable to consult a doctor. To confirm the presence of peptic ulcers the doctor will take an x-ray of your duodenum and stomach. This is called and upper GI series. Once this is done, the doctor might do an endoscopy (a process in which the patient is medicated and a thin lighted tube with a tiny camera is passed through the mouth to the stomach and the duodenum) or might conduct a biopsy (a process in which the doctor may remove a tiny piece of the stomach to view under a microscope).

Once this process is over and the ulcer is diagnosed, the doctor will test for H. pylori. This is important because the treatment of ulcers differ.

The H. Pylori bacteria is diagnosed using the following procedures:

• Blood tests
• Stool tests
• Breathe tests
• Tissue tests

Treatment

Most H. pylori related ulcers can be cured with treatment. This treatment combines two kinds of antibiotics and an acid suppressor. The pain usually goes away after a few days or a week of taking the medication, but the ulcer may take about 8 weeks to heal. The doctor usually conducts a follow-up endoscopy to ensure that the medicine has taken effect. Similarly, ulcers caused by NSAID's usually improve after the NSAID is stopped or changed, with only the help of an acid suppressor.