A Burning Desire to Learn More about Peptic Ulcers

Do you get a burning sensation in the abdominal area or even throat every time you eat something spicy or down an icy margarita at happy hour? If the burning is a condition that occurs with regularity, chances are that you may be one of many people in this country who have a peptic ulcer.

Peptic ulcers are essentially sores in the mucosal lining of your digestive tract and can occur in several places. There is typically a breakdown in the production of pepsin, an enzyme produced within the stomach lining which helps break down proteins, as well as an increase in acid production in the stomach. With such contributing factors like H. pyloris, bacteria that can cause the open sores in the lining, peptic ulcers can thrive.

Where They Are Located

Peptic ulcers are a broad term for several different kinds of ulcers which can be found in various areas in the digestive tract. For instance, a gastric ulcer is a specific type of peptic ulcer that is found in the lining of the stomach while a duodenal ulcer is found in the duodenum, the upper part of the small intestine. An esophageal ulcer is in the family of peptic ulcers which are found in the lining of the esophagus and reflux is a major contributing factor.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

With peptic ulcers, you will likely have a burning sensation in your abdominal area or even your chest area around the breastbone that feels like heartburn or even indigestion. You may feel nauseous and vomiting may occur, particularly vomit with either bright red blood or even darker, older looking blood. Blood may appear in your stool too and you may feel tired and greatly fatigued with unexplainable weight loss.

An endoscopy or an x-ray of the upper gastrointestinal tract may be performed to definitively diagnose peptic ulcers. There are also several tests - a breath, blood and stool antigen test - that can be performed to check for the presence of the H. pyloris bacteria which can cause peptic ulcers as well.

Treatment Plan

When the H. pyloris is the primary factor in causing your peptic ulcers, antibiotic therapy can be followed to kill these bacteria. Acid blockers will likely also be prescribed to cut down on the production of acid in the stomach. Proton pump inhibitors are drugs which also help reduce acid by going straight to the source cells producing it.

Exploratory measures may be taken if antibiotics and acid blocking therapy do not help heal the peptic ulcers in a timely manner. Other health conditions that can exacerbate the ulcer problem are the presence of cancer, Crohn's disease or an infection of some other type of bacteria. It is important to get to the bottom of peptic ulcers because if left unchecked, it could cause a perforation in the lining which can be life threatening.

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