All You Need To Know About Peptic Ulcers

All You Need To Know About Peptic Ulcers

Peptic ulcers are formed when the digestive juices and enzymes produced in the GI tract penetrate the protective mucous membranes and enter the stomach or duodenum. If you are wondering about the peptic ulcer meaning, this condition was named after the digestive enzyme produced in the stomach, pepsin. H. Pylori, or the Helicobacter pylori bacterial overgrowth, is the main trigger for peptic ulcers. Sometimes, overuse of OTC medications (usually painkillers) can also cause these. While these can be cured by medicines in the early stages, when left untreated for a long time, they can lead to certain health risks. Read on to know more.

Peptic ulcers are formed when the digestive juices and enzymes produced in the GI tract penetrate the protective mucous membranes and enter the stomach or duodenum. If you are wondering about the peptic ulcer meaning, this condition was named after the digestive enzyme produced in the stomach, pepsin. H. Pylori, or the Helicobacter pylori bacterial overgrowth, is the main trigger for peptic ulcers. Sometimes, overuse of OTC medications (usually painkillers) can also cause these. While these can be cured by medicines in the early stages, when left untreated for a long time, they can lead to certain health risks. Read on to know more.

Symptoms of Peptic Ulcers

The two main types of peptic ulcers are duodenal and stomach (gastric) ulcers, with duodenal ulcers contributing to at least 80% of the conditions diagnosed today. In rare cases, the digestive juices may enter other parts of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract to cause an oesophageal ulcer or a jejunal ulcer.

According to experts, more than 70% of patients don’t experience any gastric ulcer symptoms. In the few cases where people do feel certain signs, the following symptoms are quite common:

• Pain in the middle of the upper abdomen (also known as epigastric pain)

• Gnawing feeling in a particular place of the abdomen (also known as focal abdominal pain, which happens when the juices corrode the GI lining)

• Pain, burning sensation and discomfort in the stomach within 30 minutes of eating (happens in stomach ulcers)

• Pain, burning sensation and discomfort in the stomach 2 to 3 hours after eating, but a sense of relief immediately after eating (happens in duodenal ulcers)

• Pain in the lower part of the abdomen, especially near the belly button (happens in jejunal ulcers)

• Severe heartburn, especially at night (happens in oesophageal ulcers)

• Stomach bloating

• Frequent burping and/or belching

• Loss of appetite

• Nausea

• Vomiting

The stomach ulcer symptoms in female and male members are not too different in most cases. When peptic ulcers are not treated on time, they can lead to several complications, where your GI tract can bleed, perforate, or get obstructed. In the unusual case of these health risks, the symptoms you will notice are: