A gastric, or stomach, ulcer is a raw area in the stomach lining. According to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine at Penn State, approximately 10 percent of adults will experience an ulcer at some point in their lives. About 16 percent of the 500,000 ulcers that are diagnosed each year are gastric ulcers, the Hershey center reports. They are most common in men over the age of 55 and people who smoke, drink alcohol, feel stressed, and take non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen, aspirin, or ibuprofen.
Causes
A gastric ulcer is caused by injury to the stomach lining. Often, this results from taking NSAIDs, especially aspirin, according to the Hershey center. Other gastric ulcers are caused by the bacteria H. pylori. NSAIDs and H. pylori can weaken the stomach lining, allowing stomach acid to erode the stomach wall. Infections and conditions that cause excessive amounts of stomach acid to be produced may also cause ulcers. Large amounts of caffeine, tobacco or alcohol can exacerbate or cause the condition. Spicy foods and being under stress do not cause gastric ulcers, but they may make the condition worse.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a gastric ulcer may be mild, severe or may come and go. These include heartburn, a burning feeling in the stomach and indigestion. Many times, these occur several hours after eating or in the middle of the night. Eating or taking antacids can temporarily relieve the burning feeling. Other symptoms of gastric ulcers include nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting and pain while eating.
If a gastric ulcer is not treated, it will get worse, and may present with more-severe symptoms. These may include sudden sharp pain, blood in the stools or vomit, black stools, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds. All of these warrant prompt medical attention because they may indicate a complication such as a perforated stomach or a broken blood vessel.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you have symptoms of a gastric ulcer, your doctor will take a medical history. He may order X-rays of your digestive tract. He may also recommend an endoscopy, a procedure where a lighted scope is put down your esophagus into your stomach. He may take a biopsy as well. A blood test or biopsy can rule out or confirm the presence of H. pylori bacteria.
If you do have an ulcer, you will be given medication to reduce the amount of acid that your stomach produces. In some cases, you will need an antibiotic as well. These medications may take several weeks to heal the ulcer completely, and it is important to complete the course of medication even if the symptoms resolve much sooner.
