Peptic Ulcers
Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers
Wanting to know more about Gastric & Duodenal Ulcers?
Peptic ulcers are small areas of the lining of the stomach and duodenum which have been digested by the gastric juices and acid. One of the most important risk factors for developing peptic ulcers is infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter Pylori. Most people infected by these bacteria do not know about the infection until they develop peptic ulcers or inflammation of the gastric lining called gastritis. The most common symptom of peptic ulcer is a burning pain in the upper abdomen (just below the breast bone), sometimes associated with nausea, vomiting and weight loss. Serious complications of peptic ulcers include bleeding. black, tarry stools, vomiting blood or dark coffee-ground material and or perforations (holes in the stomach or duodenal wall which usually requires immediate surgery). Occasionally, stomach ulcer may signal an underlying stomach cancer. For a detailed description of peptic ulcer disease and associated complications as well as methods used to diagnose and treat ulcers please click on the links to patient-oriented sites of the American Gastroenterology Association and the American College of Gastroenterology.