How Can You Tell if You Have an Ulcer
Did you know that stomach ulcers ― also chosen peptic ulcers ― touch on at to the lowest degree 1 in 10 Americans over the course of their lives? And while tummy ulcers can be treated easily when caught early, lack of medical care can lead to serious complications.
Understanding the signs of stomach ulcers is of import in helping y'all go the treatment you need. At Prima Medicine in Fairfax and Due south Riding, Virginia, our care team has the feel and noesis to diagnose and treat breadbasket ulcers . Nosotros've curated this guide to help you recognize the warning signs of an ulcer and sympathise what yous can exercise about it.
What are stomach ulcers?
There are two kinds of stomach ulcers : gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers. Gastric ulcers are sores on the lining of your breadbasket. Duodenal ulcers are sores on the upper section of your small-scale intestine.
Your body creates a protective layer of mucus to shield the linings of your stomach and small intestine from the harsh stomach acrid required to break down food. When the mucus layer is worn away or doesn't function properly, the acid begins to damage the lining of the stomach or pocket-sized intestine, creating an ulcer. Many people believe spicy foods or stress cause ulcers, but while these can exacerbate existing ulcers, they don't actually cause them.
Ulcers are usually caused past an infection from a common bacteria called helicobacter pylori or from the habitual utilise of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such every bit aspirin. Other factors, such as beingness older than age 50, smoking, genetics, steroid use, and frequent alcohol use, can increase your risk of developing an ulcer.
What are the signs of an ulcer?
The signs of a stomach ulcer tin range from mild to severe. Here are the meridian 5 signs you may accept an ulcer:
1. Dull, burning pain
The most mutual sign of a stomach ulcer is dull, called-for pain in the tummy area. This pain typically appears between meals when your stomach is empty. Information technology may terminal only a few moments, or information technology could terminal for hours.
2. Indigestion or heartburn
Ulcers tin increase the feeling of indigestion or heartburn, a burning feeling near your heart or upper stomach that happens when breadbasket acid flows upwards into your esophagus. If yous discover increased instances of indigestion or heartburn, a stomach ulcer could exist to blame.
3. Nausea or vomiting
Tum ulcers can make you feel sick to your stomach, especially early on in the morning after going for a long time without food. Ulcers trigger an inflammatory response in the breadbasket, which tin cause stomach contractions. If they get strong enough, y'all may experience vomiting.
iv. Change in stool color
If yous notice your stool looks black, which is the color of digested claret, this could be a sign of a bleeding ulcer. Bleeding ulcers are a serious medical condition and require urgent attention.
5. Unexplained weight loss
Sometimes tummy ulcers create a block in the digestive system due to the inflammation they crusade. This tin prevent food from moving through your stomach, leading to weight loss and a subtract in appetite.
How tin can I be sure it'southward an ulcer?
The only way to be sure an ulcer is causing your discomfort is with a medical diagnosis. Nosotros will evaluate your medical history and conduct a thorough physical examination.
To determine the root cause of your ulcer, we may run blood, stool, or breath tests. These tests are designed to look for signs of helicobacter pylori, the bacteria linked to ulcers.
Depending on your unique symptoms, we may also order an endoscopy. During an endoscopy, we insert a tube with a tiny camera down your pharynx and into your stomach to accept pictures of any potential damage and collect tissue samples for analysis.
What treatments are there for ulcers?
Your handling will depend on the cause of your ulcer. For example, if our tests indicate that an infection acquired by helicobacter pylori is what created your ulcer, we'll give you antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria.
Regardless of the cause, medications that help reduce the level of acid in your breadbasket can aid the ulcer heal. And unlike lifestyle changes tin can accelerate healing as well, such equally eliminating certain foods, abstaining from booze, and practicing stress management.
In astringent cases, surgery may be required. Your provider at Prima Medicine will work with y'all to create a handling plan for your situation.
If yous have a breadbasket ulcer or want to run into if you do, nosotros can aid. To larn more, volume an appointment online or over the telephone with Prima Medicine today.
Source: https://www.primamedicine.com/blog/5-signs-you-may-have-an-ulcer
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