Gastric ulcers are sores that develop in the stomach. They are also called peptic ulcers, which can also develop in the small intestine and esophagus. The ulcers develop as a result of digestive acids released by the stomach. For years, doctors thought stress and a diet of spicy and acidic foods were the cause of gastric ulcers, but in most cases they are actually caused by bacteria. Ulcers are a common medical condition, affecting about 10 percent of all Americans at some point or another, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Symptoms
Burning abdominal pain is the most common symptom of a gastric ulcer. The pain can be felt in a large area, anywhere from the navel to the breastbone. The pain may also be worse at night or when the stomach is empty. Some people may experience pain for a few days that then disappears for a few weeks before returning again. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting, vomiting blood, dark stools and unexplained weight loss.
Cause
The most common cause of gastric ulcers is a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori. It lives in the stomach's mucous layer, most often not causing any problems. However, in some cases it can lead to inflammation that causes an ulcer. Regularly using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can also cause a gastric ulcer, as can smoking.
Diagnosis
To determine if a patient has a gastric ulcer, doctors will often try to determine if the H. pylori bacteria is present, through a blood test or a breath test. In some cases, more invasive tests may be ordered, including an upper gastrointestinal X-ray and an endoscopy, a procedure in which a tube with a camera attached is sent down the throat to allow the doctor to see if ulcers are present in the stomach. If an ulcer is present, your doctor may biopsy a sample of tissue from near the ulcer to see if cancer is present.
Treatment
Several medications can be used to treat gastric ulcers, and patients will typically need to take multiple drugs to help treat the condition. Among the options for doctors are antibiotics to kill the bacteria causing the infection, acid blockers to decrease acid production in the stomach, cytoprotective agents and proton pump inhibitors. Antibiotics will only be an effective treatment for people whose ulcers were caused by H. pylori. When ulcers don't respond to treatment, surgery is sometimes necessary.
Home Treatment
In addition to taking the prescribed medications, people with gastric ulcers can also make some simple changes to help heal the ulcer and alleviate the discomfort. Avoiding spicy and acidic foods is an easy change to make, and it's also a good idea to limit alcohol intake. People with gastric ulcers should also stop taking nonsteroidal and stop smoking, which can increase the production of stomach acid.
Tags: cause gastric, gastric ulcer, gastric ulcers, acidic foods, anti-inflammatory drugs, cause gastric ulcers, gastric ulcers