How to Determine if You Have an Ulcer

It is 2 a.m., and you suddenly awake with an aching, burning pain in your stomach area. You think that it was probably the spicy food you ate earlier in the evening causing a bad case of indigestion. The pain eventually disappears after taking an antacid, and you go back to bed, not thinking about it until it happens again. What was just described are the symptoms of an ulcer (also known as a peptic ulcer). Ulcers, according to MayoClinic.com, are “open sores that develop on the inside lining of your stomach, upper small intestine or esophagus.”

Instructions

• 1

  Knowing the various types of ulcers can help you explain your symptoms to the doctor. The gastric ulcer is found in the stomach, the duodenal ulcer is in the small intestine and the esophageal ulcer is in the lower part of the esophagus.

• 2

  Eating hot, spicy or fatty foods or being under a great deal of stress and tension as the causes of peptic ulcers is a myth. The cause of most ulcers has been linked to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacteria that “lives in the mucous tissues that line the digestive tract,” explains the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.

• 3

  Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NASIDs) is another cause of peptic ulcers. Drugs including aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen can “irritate and inflame the stomach and small intestine” says MayoClinic.com.

• 4

  Smoking, drinking alcohol and stress can aggravate the symptoms of an existing ulcer. The nicotine in tobacco can increase the “volume and concentration of stomach acid," while too much alcohol can “irritate and erode the mucous lining of your stomach and increases the amount of stomach acid that’s produced,” says MayoClinic.com. Being in stressful situations may slow down the healing process.

• 5

  Ignoring the symptoms of an ulcer could result in internal bleeding, infection and scar tissue. Some of the symptoms of a gastric ulcer include pain, gastrointestinal bleeding and weight loss. Symptoms for a duodenal ulcer include pain, weight gain and a burning sensational at the back of the throat.

• 6

  Call your doctor to make an appointment. Make sure you tell your doctor the symptoms you have been experiencing. Also ask questions. Be prepared for tests, which will lead to specific treatments and restrictions. The restrictions, which could include giving up smoking and cutting down on alcohol and caffeine, will heal the ulcer and your pain.