Peptic Ulcer Disease: Symptoms and Treatments

You know the pain well. It’s a deep grinding pain in your stomach that can double you over sometimes. This pain often feels like someone is stabbing you near your breastbone and food will at times alleviate the pain but usually only temporarily.

Ulcers where once blamed on food choices and stress. An Australian doctor was so sure peptic ulcer disease was caused by a bacteria he ingest the bacteria himself to prove it. He soon developed ulcers and a new direction in treating ulcers was taken. It is estimated that 25 million people in the US have peptic ulcers.

Causes

The bacterium responsible (H. pylori) enters the system and causes crater-like sores in the sides of the stomach and sometimes in the upper parts of the intestines. The protective layer of the digestive system is compromised and stomach acids eat away at the underlying tissues. This causes pain, discomfort and sometimes bleeding.

Upwards of 80% of the people with ulcers have the bacteria to thank for their condition. The other 20% have ulcers due to heredity, physical stress, aspirin therapy, drinking or cigarette smoking. These things cause a weakening of the stomach lining leading to peptic ulcers.

Symptoms

The symptoms of a peptic ulcer are very easy to notice. The most common symptom is a grinding or burning feeling in your stomach. You may feel a shooting pain in your upper abdomen that may temporarily disappear once you eat. You can also feel nausea, begin to lose weight and experience bloating. Many will experience the worst pain in the middle of the night when the stomach is completely empty of any foods or liquids.

People with more severe cases of peptic ulcers will vomit up blood or find it in their stool. The ulcer can eat through the stomach or intestines completely which can cause blockage or will allow food to go out of the digestive system into the body which in turn can cause a possibly fatal infection.