The Ulcer Symptoms

Definition of Ulcer

Ulcers are sores which are formed in the lining of the stomach, just below the stomach and at the start of the small intestine in the duodenum. Some times it can form in esophagus. Generally they have size of ¼ to ¾ inch in diameter but some times they can be of 1 to 2 inches in diameter.

Stomach and duodenum ulcers are normally referred to as peptic ulcers.

Description of Ulcer

As we all know that stomach is a muscle bag that crushes and mixes food with digestive juices. These juices are hydrochloric acid and pepsin. If the lining of the stomach or duodenum is damaged in some place the acid and pepsin treat this lining as food and start breaking it down.

Too much acid and pepsin can damage the stomach lining and this can result in ulcers. But this dmagae comes first from some other causes, which makes the stomach lining prone to even an ordinary level of gastric acid.

Causes and Risk Factors of Ulcer

The stomach creates a mucus coating to defend itself from hydrochloric acid and pepsin. It does so by producing bicarbonate and by circulating blood to the stomach lining to acid in cell renewal and repair. An ulcer can be formed if any one of these functions is weakened.

Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori is the primary cause of ulcer. It is a spiral shape bacterium found in the stomach. It is able to twist through the layer of mucous that protects the cavity of stomach and attach to the cells on the surface of stomach wall, where it produces urease. Urease is an enzyme that generates ammonia.

H. pylori is thrived by a substance that neutralizes the stomach acid and it is generated by urease. H. pylori thin the mucous coating of the stomach and it weakens the stomach’s defense. This makes it more susceptible to the acid and pepsin’s damaging effects. It inflames the area by poisoning the nearby cells and produces more stomach acid.

H. pylori is the primary cause of ulcer but there are some other factors as well which play a role in development of ulcer. These include use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, lifestyle and inability of stomach to defend itself against digestive fluids, hydrochloric acid and pepsin.

NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), naproxen (Naprosyn, Anaprox), or piroxicam (Feldene) interfere with the stomach’s ability to produce mucus and bicarbonate. They also affect flow of blood to the stomach, hinder cell repair and cause the stomach’s defense mechanisms to fail.

Lifestyle factors include smoking, drinking caffeine, consuming alcohol and stress. Smoking causes the delay in the healing of ulcers and it can cause recur of ulcer as well.

Acid secretion in the stomach is stimulated by caffeine, thus infuriating the pain of an existing ulcer.

Alcoholic cirrhosis has been linked to an increased risk of ulcers. Heavy drinking can cause delay in ulcer healing.

Emotional stress can increase ulcer pain. Physical stress increases the risk of development of gastric ulcer.

Ulcer Symptoms

There can be no symptoms of ulcers or you may experience the following symptoms:

• A burning pain in the abdomen somewhere between the breastbone and the navel. The pain is usually worse a couple of hours after a meal or in the middle of the night specially when the stomach is empty.
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Sudden Weight loss
• Tiredness & weakness are symptoms of bleeding ulcer
• Blood in vomit or stool. When blood is in the stool, it appears tarry or black

Diagnosis of Ulcer

There are many options for doctors to diagnose ulcer.

• Performing endoscopic and x-ray examinations.
• Testing for H. pylori.
• By using fiber-optic endoscope doctor can get a direct view of upper digestive tract. This procedure is called Endoscopy.
• The doctor may also perform a gastroscopy, in which a flexible tube-shaped device with a special light-conducting properties is put down the throat and it  allows the doctor to see the ulcer and obtain tissue samples for microscopic examination to determine if the ulcer is cancerous.