Peptic ulcer disease occurs when sores/ulcers appear in your stomach lining due to an increase in stomach acid attacking the stomach or a decrease in the mucous that protects the stomach lining from acidic juices.
Peptic ulcers can be painful, with symptoms including a burning or gnawing feeling in the stomach, leading to stomach pain.
Peptic ulcer disease is where open sores appear on the inner lining of the stomach and in the upper part of the small intestine.
In this post, we look at peptic ulcer disease, its complications, risks, and treatments.
Peptic Ulcer Disease
Pepsin is the primary digestive enzyme that our stomachs produce, and pepsin and natural stomach acid are the two essential chemicals our body needs in order to break down food to aid digestion.
This means that these two juices are highly corrosive.
To prevent these corrosive juices from damaging your internal tissue lining, your gastrointestinal tract has a protective mucous lining.
However, when peptic ulcer disease strikes, this protection fails, and the acidic juices begin to attack the stomach, with the ulcer developing and beginning to penetrate through all three layers of mucous lining.
Types of Peptic Ulcer
Two main types of peptic ulcer:
Duodenal ulcers – these account for approximately 80% of peptic ulcers. Signs of a duodenal ulcer can include feeling better after eating. However, pain can return during the night, keeping you up.
Stomach ulcers – accounting for the remaining 20% of peptic ulcers. Symptoms of a stomach ulcer can include the individual feeling pain and feeling much worse after a meal.
It is possible to develop peptic ulcers in other parts of your gastrointestinal tract (for example, oesophageal ulcer (feels like heartburn) and jejunal ulcer (middle part of the small intestine)). However, this is very rare.
Risk Factors of Peptic Ulcer Disease
Between five and ten percent of people worldwide develop peptic ulcer disease, and it is a disease that can develop at any age; however, it is most common in middle-aged adults and males.
One of the biggest risk factors for peptic ulcer disease is that some individuals may not notice any particular or repeated symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose.
Symptoms can include:
Stomach pain – this tends to be high and felt at the top of the abdomen.
Indigestion – a burning sensation combined with a feeling of fullness that lasts a long time. This burning sensation can be the stomach acids attacking the gastrointestinal lining.
Other symptoms to look out for include:
- Bloated stomach
- Burping or belching
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
It’s important to note that stress and spicy foods are not linked with causing peptic ulcers, but they do aggravate symptoms and pain.
Complications of peptic ulcer disease occur when the ulcer is left untreated.
Untreated ulcers can lead to bleeding or, in extreme cases, a hole appearing in your gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding include blood in stool, a black and tarry stool, feeling of dizziness or faint, rapid heart rate, and pale complexion.
Symptoms of a gastrointestinal hole include sudden and sharp abdominal pain, swelling in the abdomen, fever, and chills.
Causes of Peptic Ulcer Disease
There are two leading causes of peptic ulcer disease:
Helicobacter Pylori infection – a bacterial infection that upsets the natural balance and attacks the lining of the stomach, causing inflammation to your gastrointestinal lining.
Overuse of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – NSAIDs, i.e., over-the-counter pain relief (aspirin and ibuprofen) can affect the chemicals in your body and hence lead to the start of peptic ulcer disease. NSAIDs should be taken as prescribed and never consumed with alcohol.
Peptic ulcer disease should be diagnosed by your healthcare provider, who may refer you to a specialist consultant who will carry out further reflux testing.
The reflux test may include an upper endoscopy, CT scan, and, if the peptic ulcer is thought to be of a considerable size, an x-ray.
Breath or stool samples will be required to test for the bacterial infection H. Pylori.
Peptic ulcer disease is treatable with medication, antibiotics, and by eliminating the underlying cause of the ulcer.
Most peptic ulcers will begin to heal within a few weeks. Your healthcare provider will schedule follow-up tests and examinations to ensure the ulcer has healed and the infection has cleared.
The Functional Gut Clinic
At the Functional Gut Clinic, we use the latest diagnostics and our expertise and knowledge of gut health to help identify your problems and provide you with the right course of treatment. Providing you with high-quality results and first class care.
To find out more, or if you have any further questions, please feel free to email us at admin@thefunctionalgutclinic.com, and a member of our team will get in touch.
Disclaimer: It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan if you’re experiencing symptoms of peptic ulcer disease.