Stomach Ulcer Problems

A stomach ulcer, referred to by doctors as a peptic ulcer, can cause its sufferer many levels of frustration in addition to its uncomfortable symptoms. The first symptoms of a peptic ulcer are often not indicative of an ulcer at all. Even after the condition is diagnosed, the ulcer's symptoms often seem unpredictable, in terms of their occurrence.

Definition of an Ulcer

• At its most fundamental definition, an ulcer is an open, painful sore. A sore in the stomach and/or small intestine that results from the irregularity of defensive and aggressive forces is a stomach ulcer. In some cases, an imbalance of acid causes damage in the lining of the stomach. In other cases, the stomach lining is weak to even normal acid levels, since the lining has already been damaged by some other factor that left it vulnerable. Peptic ulcer sores are like craters in the stomach's lining. The digestive stomach juices, hydrochloric acid and pepsin, malfunction in an ulcer: the juices are triggered to treat the damaged lining as though it needs to be digested, and the lining is then broken down further.

Causes

• Alcohol intake and spicy foods were once cited as the main sources of stomach ulcers. Stress, as a cause of stomach ulcers, has always been (and still is) debatable in the medical field. In 1982, however, doctors discovered the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, commonly called H. pylori, which lives and grows in the stomach and can cause the infection that results in a peptic ulcer. The combination of the H. pylori infection and stomach acid is responsible for causing most ulcers. Sometimes, however, the bacterial infection does not develop an ulcer--a fact still unexplained in the medical world.

  Smoking and drinking are associated causes of peptic ulcers. Nicotine yields more acid in the stomach, and alcohol wears down the stomach lining. High doses of ibuprofin or aspirin over extended periods of time also pose ulcer risks.

Ulcer Formation

• Stomach ulcers caused by H. pylori infection weaken the stomach coating. The weakened stomach coating allows stomach acids to get through to the tissues that line the digestive system beneath. The acid and bacteria that gets through this lining causes the open sores that are ulcers.

Signs and Symptoms

• Ulcers may not show signs or symptoms for quite some time, during which the condition risks further health problems. Possible signs of an ulcer may include stomach pains one to two hours after eating, stomach pains during the night on an empty stomach and feeling bloated and full rather quickly. Burning pain in the stomach is also a sign.

  Ulcer symptoms are of a wide variety, and are often unpredictable and inconsistent. A burning or gnawing pain in the abdomen area between the navel and the breastbone is a common symptom. This pain often worsens after a meal or during the night on an empty stomach. The pain can also feel similar to a tightness in the area that only feels better when the patient lies in fetal position. Ulcer symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, and sometimes a loss of appetite. Frequent hiccuping and belching are also ulcer symptoms.

  Dangerous ulcer symptoms that might indicate a bleeding ulcer include relentless fatigue and weakness. Blood in the vomit and/or in the stool is also a sign of a bleeding ulcer.

Treatment

• Doctors first urge patients to change their health choices if they have unhealthy habits of smoking, excessive alcohol use and excessive medicine and/or caffeine intake. Ulcer medicines include mucosal protective agents, H2-blockers and proton-pump inhibitors, used in conjunction with antibiotics that address the H. pylori bacteria.

  Medications such as Prevacid and Prilosec are short-term ulcer treatments that don't cure the ulcer, but relieve and/or prevent the pain, (although these medications have a slew of side effects, such as diarrhea and headaches).