Stomach Ulcers: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Prevention
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Stomach ulcers are the open sores formed on the lining of your stomach. Also known as peptic ulcers or gastric ulcers, they bleed continuously and result in significant blood loss. Immediate medical intervention is required in most cases. Now, let’s look at the common stomach ulcer symptoms, causes, and diagnosis of stomach ulcers along with some prevention measures to be taken to avoid them.
What are Stomach Ulcers?
Have you been noticing some kind of sharp pain or inflammation radiating from a particular point in your stomach? The reason may be the ulcers in the stomach caused due to overuse of certain medications or bacterial infections. Also, the stomach acids cause the wound to aggravate and may end up damaging that part permanently. So, it is always better to identify stomach ulcer symptoms early and take the right treatment before things get complicated. More details about the causes, diagnosis, and stomach ulcer treatments are shared below.
Causes & Recognizing the Symptoms
Some of the common causes of stomach ulcers are detailed below:
Bacterial Infection
A bacterial species known as Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori affects the lining of your stomach. Due to the weakening of the stomach lining, it gets easily damaged from the stomach acid that your stomach produces. This results in the formation of the stomach ulcers.
Stomach acid is produced by the stomach to help in digestion and mainly contains hydrochloric acid. Its main function is to protect you from bacteria, pathogens, and other microorganisms that may enter your body through food or water.
Use of Certain Medications
Certain medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or other non-steroidal drugs of anti-inflammatory nature may affect your stomach’s lining and cause ulcers in the stomach.
Some other factors such as stress, poor diet, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking may also be the root cause of the stomach ulcer symptoms. These are the symptoms of stomach ulcers that you must recognise:
Soreness in a particular spot, usually on the upper abdomen and on the left side.
A sharp pain that feels like something is burning or eating your stomach.
Indigestion and a strange feeling of fullness immediately after eating and a long time after you have eaten something.
Some other symptoms include bloating or belching, heartburn or acid reflux, vomiting and nausea.
Some people also don’t notice any stomach ulcer symptoms, especially during the early stage of its formation. These people may directly find some blood in their stool which may accompanied by these symptoms:
Pale skin
Fatigue or dizziness
Black blood in the stool
Vomiting
Severe stomach pain that doesn’t subside
If you notice any of these ulcers in the stomach symptoms, you may contact a healthcare practitioner immediately.
How are Stomach Ulcers Diagnosed?
The following diagnosis methods are opted after detecting the symptoms associated with stomach ulcers:
Endoscopy
To conduct an upper GI endoscopy, a tube is inserted into your stomach and the visuals around the stomach lining are captured. The tube contains a tiny camera and helps the doctors to detect the ulcers clearly. They may also use it to examine the count, severity, and condition of the ulcers.
Testing for Bacterial Infection
If some or most of the stomach ulcer symptoms are noticed, the doctor may suggest you to undertake certain tests to determine if a bacterial infection is the root cause of the stomach ulcers. A biopsy test may be conducted or samples of blood, stool, and breath may be taken to verify the H. pylori infection.
Once the ulcers are diagnosed, the doctor may suggest some of the stomach ulcers treatment methods and preventive measures. Follow the recommendations carefully to avoid any further issues or complications.
Effective Treatment Options
After diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe some medications to promote healing of the stomach ulcers. For example, if bacterial infection is the root cause of the ulcers in the stomach, the doctor may prescribe certain antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria.
Some other medications include PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors) such as lansoprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole, etc. that minimise the production of stomach acid. This accelerates the healing process as well.
Histamine receptor blockers aka H2 blockers such as nizatidine, cimetidine, or famotidine may also be used to reduce the stomach acid production.
If the situation is complicated, the surgeon may inject the medication directly into the wound to prevent the wound from bleeding and developing into a hole. However, if the stomach ulcer has already developed into a hole, it is stitched with the help of a colorectal surgeon. These things are usually done during the endoscopy tests.
Some people also suffer from persistent ulcers which means that the stomach ulcers keep coming back. In some cases, they don’t respond to the above treatment methods. This results in the development of stomach scars. The scar tissue may even block the stomach’s outlet that is located at the bottom. To treat this issue, the doctor may suggest a couple of surgeries that include:
Vagotomy i.e. severing of the nerve that causes the stomach acid production
Pyloroplasty i.e. removing the scar tissue or opening the stomach outlet
Home Remedies for Relief
Certain foods or natural remedies may promote the healing of ulcers in the stomach. Apples, broccoli, red grapes, soybeans, and other foods containing flavonoids promote healing of the wounds. Flavonoids protect the stomach lining and let the ulcers heal.
Drinking aloe vera gel by mixing it with water or milk can also heal the wounds faster. You can also drink the aloe vera juice that is freshly made using the pulp extracted from the aloe vera leaves.
Probiotic rich foods such as yoghurt, kimchi, or probiotic supplements may also speed up the recovery process. They also help to resolve certain stomach ulcer symptoms like indigestion as they speed up the digestive process.
People diagnosed with stomach ulcers due to the bacterial infection can consume honey. Honey is a powerful antibacterial agent and restricts the growth of the H. pylori bacteria.
While certain foods help in the speedy recovery from stomach ulcers, you must also avoid certain foods that may aggravate the symptoms. These foods include coffee or caffeinated drinks, carbonated drinks or sodas, chillies, fried and oily foods, and acidic fruits such as oranges, lemons, etc.
When Should You See a Doctor?
You should visit a doctor immediately after experiencing a sharp or dull pain in your stomach. If the pain does not subside on its own or gets severe and is followed up by the other aforementioned symptoms, you must see the doctor immediately.
Possible Complications & Preventive Measures
Some of the potential complications resulting from delaying or avoiding the stomach ulcers treatment include:
Bleeding Ulcers: When left untreated, the stomach ulcers tend to bleed. The bleeding may either be slow or rapid. Slow bleeding may result in complications such as anemia. Rapid bleeding results in vomiting blood or spotting blood in the stools.
Perforated Ulcers: In some cases, the ulcers may develop into a hole that perforates through the stomach wall and results in a severe infection. Sometimes, these stomach ulcers may also enter into the nearby organs causing serious complications.
Obstructing The Food Passage: The scar tissues due to the ulcers may block the passage of the food from the stomach to the small intestine. This requires removal of the scar tissue and opening up the stomach outlet through surgery.
To prevent these complications, get stomach ulcers treatment immediately after diagnosis. Also, follow a healthy diet and lifestyle to prevent further aggravation of the stomach ulcer symptoms.
Final Takeaway
These were some common causes, treatment methods, and symptoms of stomach ulcers. To prevent any further complications, medicine for stomach ulcers are to be taken regularly as per the doctor’s advice. Along with that, a proper diet is to be taken and certain foods that may aggravate the stomach ulcers must be avoided at all costs. Upon discovering any stomach ulcer symptoms contact a gastroenterologist at your nearby super specialty hospital!
FAQs
Can stomach ulcers be life-threatening?
Yes, stomach ulcers can be life-threatening if left untreated. The ulcers may bleed or lead to severe complications that require immediate medical interventions or emergency services.
When to go to the doctor for a stomach ulcer?
If you notice dark or tarry stools or spot blood in your vomit, accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness or severe abdominal pain, book an appointment with a reputed gastroenterologist.
Which foods to avoid during stomach ulcers treatment?
Avoid alcohol, smoking, and foods that contain spices, oil, and acidic content while undergoing treatment for ulcers in the stomach symptoms.
Which drinks can calm my stomach ulcer?
Honey water, turmeric tea, aloe vera juice, and green cabbage juice can calm the stomach ulcer symptoms effectively.
What stops stomach ulcer pain immediately?
Acid blockers also known as histamine H2 blockers stop the production of stomach acid and provide instant relief from the throbbing pain.
