Peptic ulcers are open sores in your stomach lining or the top of your small intestine.
Symptoms
Many people who have peptic ulcers don't have any symptoms. However, if you do have symptoms, they may include:
- Pain in your upper abdomen
- Indigestion
- Bloating
- Loss of appetite
- Burping
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Treatment
If you have a peptic ulcer, your doctor will probably first give you medication that reduces your stomach acid and helps repair the open sores. If you have H. pylori, you'll need antibiotics.
For most people, these medications, along with treating the underlying cause of the ulcer, will get rid of the ulcer.
If you have a complicated ulcer or a bleeding ulcer, your doctor may need to treat it during an endoscopy. This may include cauterizing the ulcer to stop bleeding, injecting the ulcer with medication, or putting in stitches.
Risk Factors
Peptic ulcers are most commonly caused by infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). It lives in the stomach and causes an inflammation of the stomach (gastritis). Many people, especially people over the age of fifty, are infected with H. pylori, but it doesn’t cause issues in most of them. A small number, less than five percent, will develop ulcers.
In addition to H. pylori, one of the most common causes of ulcers is the use of aspirin and a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs include prescription medications such as such as Motrin and Naprosyn, as well as over-the-counter medications such as Advil and Aleve. Tylenol and other forms of acetaminophen do not cause ulcers. It is also important to realize that certain medications that one can purchase without prescription, such as Alka-Seltzer, Goody Powder and Standback, also contain aspirin and can lead to serious damage to the stomach.
However, many people can develop ulcers without infection with H. pylori or without consuming NSAIDs.