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PEPTIC
ULCER
 WHAT
IS PEPTIC ULCER?
Peptic
ulcer refers to any ulcer in the digestive system that
is related to pepsin, an enzyme produced by the stomach.
So, ulcers that occur in the oesophagus, stomach, or duodenum,
are all peptic ulcers.
WHAT
CAUSES ULCER?
Smoking, drinking, aspirin, and other
anti-inflammatory medications, can all be factors in causing
ulcers. However, the most important cause of gastric and
duodenal ulcers is a peculiar spiral bacterium called
Helicobacter pylori, also called H. pylori. It is known
that H. pylori causes at least 90% of stomach and duodenal
ulcers. The usual symptom of an ulcer is pain, high in
the abdomen. The pain can sometimes be felt on the left
or right of the upper abdomen, or in the back. Ulcer pain
is typically worse at night when the stomach is empty,
and better after some food is eaten. An ulcer can also
show up with nausea or indigestion, or repeated vomiting.
Rarely, the first sign of an ulcer is vomiting blood.
HOW
ARE ULCERS DIAGNOSED?
The most common way in which peptic
ulcers are now diagnosed is by endoscopy. This is done
by inserting a thin flexible scope which carries a mini-camera
at its tip into the mouth and down the digestive system.
The procedure is painless and is completed in 5 to 10
minutes. You can be sedated to make the procedure more
comfortable. If you would like to view an endoscopy, click
here.
WHAT
CAN I DO TO HELP HEAL MY ULCER
Smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking
aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs, should all be avoided.
If you do find a particular food gives you pain, avoid
that food.
HOW
WILL THE DOCTOR TREAT AN ULCER?
Two types of drugs, called H2 blockers
and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are used to treat ulcers.
These medications reduce the acid produced by the stomach,
and quickly heal ulcers. However, when H2 blockers or
PPIs are used alone as treatment, ulcers often return.
The
most effective treatment for ulcers, in patients who have
H. pylori infection, is a combination of PPI with antibiotics.
If a complication of the ulcer such as perforation occurs,
then an immediate operation is often needed. |
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