Ulcers
-
Introduction
Are ulcers serious?
What causes ulcers?
Who gets ulcers?
How are ulcers treated?
How does my doctor know if I have H. pylori infection?
What if I have an ulcer and H. pylori infection?
An ulcer is a sore on the lining of your digestive tract, which consists of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum (the first part of the intestines) and intestines. Ulcers cause a gnawing or burning pain in your stomach. However, most people who have stomach pain don't have an ulcer. Your doctor may use tests to decide if your stomach pain is caused by an ulcer. A burning stomach pain is the most common symptom. The pain
- May come and go for a few days or weeks
- May bother you more when your stomach is empty
- Usually goes away after you eat
Peptic ulcers will get worse if not treated. Treatment may include medicines to block stomach acids or antibiotics to kill ulcer-causing bacteria. Not smoking and avoiding alcohol can help. Surgery may help for ulcers that don't heal.
Are ulcers serious?
Most people with ulcers just have stomach pain. Some people don't have any symptoms at all. But ulcers may cause other health problems. Sometimes they bleed. If the ulcers become too deep, they can break through the stomach. Ulcers can block food from going through the intestines. This causes nausea, vomiting and weight loss.
Page Top
What causes ulcers?
Doctors used to think ulcers were caused by stress or by eating food with too much acid in it. We now know this isn't true. Most stomach ulcers are caused by an infection. The infection is caused by a bacteria (germ) called Helicobacter pylori (say: "hell-ee-ko-back-ter pie-lore-ee"), or H. pylori for short. Ulcers in people who don't have an H. pylori infection are usually related to heavy aspirin use, or heavy use of anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (some brand names: Advil, Nuprin, Motrin). Acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) doesn't cause stomach ulcers.
Page Top
Who gets ulcers?
About half of the world's population is infected with H. pylori. In the United States, half of the people older than age 50 are infected with it. Because sanitation has improved in recent decades, younger Americans are less likely to have H. pylori infection. Only some infected people get an ulcer.
Page Top
How are ulcers treated?
Since the 1970s, doctors have had several medicines that can help heal the break in the lining of the stomach or the duodenum. These medicines also make the ulcer symptoms, including the pain, get better. The problem has been that about 90% of people who used these medicines got another ulcer within a year. So for most people ulcers were a recurring problem. Finding out about H. pylori infection has changed this. Now, if you test positive for H. pylori infection, it can be treated, and you probably won't get another ulcer.
Page Top
How does my doctor know if I have H. pylori infection?
H. pylori infection can be diagnosed with a blood test. Your doctor might also want you to get an x-ray or have endoscopy (an endoscope is a thin tube that carries a tiny camera) to see if you have an ulcer. A breath test is another way to find out if you have H. pylori infection.
Page Top
What if I have an ulcer and H. pylori infection?
The medicines noted above heal ulcers whether you have H. pylori infection or not. But if you have H. pylori infection too, you should also treat the infection. H. pylori is hard to get rid of. No single drug can cure this infection. The best way to cure H. pylori infection is to take several drugs at the same time.
A combination of drugs called "triple therapy," means taking 2 antibiotics (to kill the H. pylori) and an H2-blocker, proton pump inhibitor and/or bismuth. Other combinations that use fewer drugs might also help. Your doctor can help decide which medicines you should take.
Because you have to take so many medicines at the same time, you may have some side effects. Minor side effects of H. pylori medicines include a black color on the tongue and black stool, diarrhea, nausea and headache. Some of the medicines leave a bad taste in your mouth. These side effects are usually minor and go away on their own.
Page Top
Information obtained from National Institute of Health