Peptic Ulcer

A peptic ulcer is a sore in the lining of your stomach or your duodenum, the first part of your small intestine. A burning stomach pain is the most common symptom. The pain

May come and go for a few days or weeks
May bother you more when your stomach is empty
Usually goes away after you eat

Peptic ulcers happen when the acids that help you digest food damage the walls of the stomach or duodenum. The most common cause is infection with a bacterium called Heliobacter pylori. Another cause is the long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Stress and spicy foods do not cause ulcers, but can make them worse.

Peptic ulcers will get worse if not treated. Treatment may include medicines to block stomach acids or antibiotics to kill ulcer-causing bacteria. Not smoking and avoiding alcohol can help. Surgery may help for ulcers that don't heal.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Peptic Ulcer on Wikipedia

'''Peptic ulcer''' is a non-malignant ulcer of the stomach (called '''gastric ulcer''') or duodenum (called '''duodenal ulcer'''). By far most instances are now known to be due to ''Helicobacter pylori'', a spiral-shaped bacterium that lives in the acid environment of the stomach. These ulcers can also be caused or worsened by drugs such as Aspirin and other NSAIDs.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of a peptic ulcer can be: * Abdominal pain; * Hematemesis (vomiting blood); * Melena (tarry feces due to oxidation iron from hemoglobin); * Weight loss; * Rarely, an ulcer can lead to a gastric or duodenal perforation. This is extremely painful and requires immediate surgery. A history of heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and use of certain forms of medication can raise the suspicion for peptic ulcer. Medicines associated with peptic ulcer are NSAID (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) that inhibit cyclooxygenase 1, and most glucocorticoids (e.g. dexamethasone). In patients over 45 with more than 2 weeks of the above symptoms the odds for peptic ulceration are high enough to warrant rapid investigation by EGD (see below). In earlier times it was thought that the timing of the symptoms in relation to the meal could differentiate between ''gastric'' and ''duodenal ulcers'': a gastric ulcer would give pain ''during'' the meal, as gastric acid was secreted, while duodenal ulcers would only hurt ''after'' the meal—when acidic chylus was passed down to the duodenum. This theory has not been proved in practice.

Diagnosis

In patients in whom ''peptic ulcer'' is suspected, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD, a form of endoscopy) is indicated. By direct visual identification, the location and severity of an ulcer can be described. Moreover, if no ulcer is present, EGD can often provide an alternative diagnosis. The diagnosis of ''Helicobacter pylori'' can be ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

eMedicine - Gastritis and Peptic Ulcer Disease - Dr. Philip Shayne describes causes, symptoms, and common treatments.

Medinfo: Peptic Ulcer - Information for patients including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment and prevention.

Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Peptic Ulcer - Information and discussion concerning causes, symptoms and treatment of peptic ulcers.

McKinley Health Center: Peptic Ulcers - An overview of the condition listing origins, common features, complications, and treatments.

Healthub - A brief definition of peptic ulcer, followed by links to overviews, research articles, diagnosis and treatment, case reports and diets.

Chinese Traditional Medicine - Describes in detail how TCM practitioners in China solve peptic-ulcer with traditional Chinese strategies and herbs.

Dietsite: Diet for Peptic Ulcer Disease - How to avoid foods that may cause gastric irritation and excessive gastric acid secretion.

Ask Dr. Weil: Peptic, Duodenal, or Gastric Ulcers - Covers conventional and alternative treatments including diet, deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), aloe vera juice, cayenne pepper, and stress reduction.

eMedicine - Peptic Ulcer Disease - Dr. George Fantry reports on symptoms and treatment of stomach and duodenal peptic ulcers often caused by Helicobacter pylori infections, NSAIDs, or stress.

Helicobacter pylori in Peptic Ulcer Disease - National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement, February 7-9, 1994

Peptic Ulcer

Peptic Ulcer on Wikipedia

Signs and symptoms

Diagnosis

External Resources

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