According to medical supervision, 1/10 of adults suffer from a stomach ulcer. The disease is in second place in frequency after coronary heart disease. So, men under the age of fifty are most often affected. In this article, we will give you a complete guide about the symptoms of stomach ulcer.
Pain in stomach ulcers is considered an important diagnostic sign. However, statistics warn that from 25 to 28% of cases are atypical. In this case, pain is completely absent or resembles other diseases. If the course is favorable, then after exacerbations (at 3–8 weeks), a prolonged remission occurs up to several years. In case of trouble, severe complications are expected with rupture of the stomach wall (perforation). And the development of peritonitis, perforation into neighboring organs, and cancerous degeneration.
What criteria characterize ulcerative pain?
Pain syndrome is considered the most typical manifestation of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. By direct corrosion of not only the mucous membrane of the inner lining. As in inflammation of the stomach. But also the submucosal muscle layer, where there are a lot of pain receptors.
So ignoring timely treatment worsens the condition of the organ and digestion as a whole. To fully characterize which pains in Symptoms of stomach ulcer are the most typical. One should dwell in more detail on the description of the symptom.
Localization
In 75% of patients, abdominal pain in the epigastric zone and upper part. Depending on the specific location of the ulcer in the stomach, the zone of maximum pain varies:
- if the lesion touches the cardiac and subcardial region – under the xiphoid process of the sternum;
- in the body region – the left side of the epigastrium;
- in the pyloric section and duodenum – on the right in the epigastrium.
Intensity
In half of the cases, patients consider the soreness to be tolerable. In 1/3 of cases, it is severe. More pronounced at a young age and with complications. That suppresses gastric juice’s secretion (Omez, Famotidine), anti-acid agents (Gastal, Almagel).
Pain increases – from spicy and fried foods, physical activity, with a long break between meals, after drinking alcohol.
What are they connected with: Symptoms Of Stomach Ulcer
There is a clear connection – with food intake, with the season (exacerbations in spring and autumn). Depending on the food, it is customary to share the pain:
- On the early – they begin half an hour or an hour after eating, build up gradually. Last up to two hours, decrease. Then disappear when the food lump passes into the intestine. More typical for the localization of the lesion in the body of the stomach. If the ulcerative process affects the cardiac, subcardial, and fundic regions, it appears immediately after swallowing food.
- In the late ones, they disturb the patients one and a half to two hours after eating, in contrast to the “early” ones. So, they intensify as the contents pass into the duodenum. Typical for ulcers located in the pyloric region and the duodenal bulb.
- Typical for localization in the duodenum, pyloric stomach.
In addition to pain, among the signs of peptic ulcer disease, the dyspeptic syndrome is of great importance. The symptoms are more painful for patients, “drown,” and intensify the pain. These include:
- heartburn – worries up to 80% of patients, appears after one and a half to three hours after eating. It is stubborn, caused by reflux of acidic contents into the lower part of the esophagus;
- belching – present in half of the patients;
- nausea, vomiting – more often manifest at the height of the painful attack, relieve the condition. So patients learn to induce vomiting on their own.
Stool disorder in the form of constipation – occurs against the background of an exacerbation in half of the patients. Feeling of fullness or bloating in the stomach. Subcranial and cardiac ulcers. Placed directly under the esophageal sphincter or no further than 5-6 cm towards the stomach. Features:
Stomach pain reliever
- pain “early,” felt by patients high in the epigastrium, in the zone of the xiphoid process;
- are characterized by frequent irradiation to the heart region always require differential diagnosis with angina pectoris (it must be remembered that angina attacks are associated with physical activity. So, Disappear at rest, relieve pain with Nitroglycerin coronary dilatation tablets, and “ulcerative” pains follow food intake);
- weakly expressed in intensity;
- often contribute to the manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux with belching, heartburn, vomiting, since cardiac sphincter insufficiency is formed;
- can be combined with reflux esophagitis, hernia of the esophageal diaphragmatic opening;
- rarely perforation, bleeding is typical of complications.
Ulcers on the greater curvature
Characteristics: rarely detected, there are no typical manifestations in terms of the nature of pain and symptoms. Half of the cases must develop into a malignant tumor. Therefore, localization is considered potentially dangerous and requires increased control (repeated biopsies of the edges and bottom).
The defeat of the antrum
Ulcers are also called “prebiotic,” found in 10-16% of patients. Clinical features: mainly observed at a young age. Because the nature of the pain is referred to too late as “hungry” or “night,” localized in the epigastric zone.
They are similar to the course of a duodenal ulcer. Often accompanied by heartburn. They need differential diagnosis with stomach cancer. This is the most common localization of cancer. Up to 20% of cases in the clinical course cause gastric bleeding.
Pyloric ulcers
Localization accounts for 8% of cases. They differ in the disease’s persistent course, pronounced pain syndrome, paroxysmal nature of pain lasting 30-40 minutes. In 30% of cases, the pain is late, “hungry,” but may generally not depend on food intake.
All patients have a feeling of fullness of the stomach fullness. The complication in the form of cicatricial changes and the formation of pyloric stenosis. Accompanied by vomiting “sour,” constant heartburn. Patients report excessive, sudden salivation. Among other complications: frequent bleeding due to the location in the area of an abundant number of vessels. Perforation into the abdominal cavity, penetration of the pancreas.
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How to distinguish stomach and duodenal ulcers by pain?
The symptoms of a duodenal ulcer are important for the differential diagnosis of gastric lesions. Moreover, that bother patients on the right side of the epigastrium are “late.” Begin at night or in the morning, are rarely accompanied by vomiting.
So, the spasm of the sphincter of Oddi develops more often. Dyskinesia of the gallbladder forms with a feeling of heaviness, dull pain in the right hypochondrium, spread to the back
The extra-bulbous location (post bulbar ulcers) is closer to the transition to the jejunum. They account for up to 7% of the total number of gastroduodenal ulcers :
- later development;
- intense pain localized to the right in the hypochondrium, irradiation under the scapula. In the back, attacks are similar to gallstone and urolithiasis;
- complications in the form of inflammation of the surrounding tissues (perivisceritis). Narrowing of the bulb, obstructive jaundice when compressed by scar tissue, and infiltration of the bile duct.
- The ulcer in the duodenum is more benign and does not turn into cancer. There is no bleeding in the case of complication; it causes penetration into the hepatic-duodenal ligament or pancreas. Stimulates the development of pancreatitis.
How do combined and multiple ulcers manifest?
Combined ulcers are called the simultaneous detection of ulceration in the stomach and duodenum (detected in 5-10% of cases). And multiple – non-single ulcers in one organ. The clinical signs express typical symptoms.
When a stomach ulcer joins, the patient’s condition worsens markedly:
- spreading occurs both to the right and to the left;
- becomes constant heartburn and vomiting;
- worried about the feeling of a full stomach;
- complications occur as cicatricial pyloric stenosis, perforation, bleeding.
So it is only with fibrogastroscopy, and nothing changes clinically.
Multiple ulcers often relapse and become more complicated persistent pain; it is difficult to find analgesics in the treatment. How the stomach ulcer hurts, depending on the size. We will find out using the example of the signs of giant ulcers. These include the identified defects in the stomach wall with a diameter of 20-30 mm. Less often in the subcardiac zone and on the greater curvature.
The pain syndrome is intense; the sign of periodicity disappears, depending on food intake. They become permanent. Patients lose weight quickly. In the clinical course, bleeding, perforation into the pancreas, and degeneration into a malignant neoplasm appear much more often.
Syndrome in the elderly and young people
Peptic ulcer disease in old age may occur for the first time. After 60 years or continue its course from youth. At the same time, there is a decrease in the intensity of pain. Against the background of an increase in the size and depth of the ulcerative process. So, A bleeding tendency, the course of the disease. Along with the developed complications (cicatricial narrowing of the pylorus, adhesions), transformation into cancer.
In adolescence, pain manifestations can be masked, and the disease is atypical. Complications are rare. More patients are concerned about the tendency to vegetative-vascular dystonia, sweating, irritability. Examination of adolescents by the commission of the military registration and enlistment office allows you to identify. And hospitalize young men in a specialized department.
As a rule, it is not difficult to anesthetize such cases. But a hospital regimen is necessary for a full course of treatment.
Cases are considered atypical:
- “Mute” ulcers, identified only during the routine examination;
- the pain of the appendicular type in the right iliac region;
predominant localization in the hypochondrium on the right, in the heart region, in the lower back.
Complications first manifest such forms of the disease. That has arisen after an ulcer: unclear bleeding, perforation, detection of pyloric stenosis.
Treatment: Symptoms Of Stomach Ulcer
Treatment of peptic ulcer disease is combined and is aimed at counteracting. So, the mechanisms of ulcer formation, restoring the gastric mucosa and combating complications. However, Pain relief for Symptoms of stomach ulcer is a prerequisite for effective therapy. And fried foods, spicy sauces, sour fruits and pickles, smoked meats, legumes, chocolate, and coffee.
During an exacerbation, only liquid cereals in water. To find out which painkillers can be effectively used in a particular case, gastric juice’s acidity. So, the presence of Helicobacter in the contents is studied in the patient.
Combination therapy includes:
- antacids that bind acid (Almagel, Maalox). A local anesthetic – anesthesia was added to Almagel A;
- so, bismuth preparations (De-Nol, Bismofalk, Tribimol, Bismol) are used in the fight against Helicobacter pylori;
- anticholinergics (Gastroceptin, Atropine, Platyphyllin) – remove impulses from the affected area, help with the pain.
The doctor determines the dosage by the patient’s age. So, the course of the disease. Suppose the examination shows no signs of degeneration and bleeding. Then physiotherapy procedures that effectively relieve pain are prescribed (galvanization, magnetotherapy, mud applications). With good tolerance and “night” pain, you can drink warm milk, chamomile decoction.
9 Symptoms of stomach ulcer
The stomach, like any internal human organ, is subject to various negative factors. Due to these factors’ systematic influence, serious diseases can occur, one of which is a gastric ulcer.
This pathology can adversely affect a person’s life and in the absence of appropriate measures. Because it can provoke the appearance of life-threatening pathologies. That is why, in this article, we will analyze in detail the following questions. Moreover, what is a symptom of a stomach ulcer? What are its main symptoms? Why it appears and how to deal with it.
However, A gastric ulcer is a chronic pathology in which trophic defects form in this organ’s mucous membrane, which is especially acute in autumn and spring. Often, the pathology affects men aged 20-40 years. Sometimes older males also suffer from it. So in the rarest cases, the pathology affects children and adolescents.
People who have specific working conditions can get symptoms of stomach ulcers. For example, the absence of a canteen at work, which prepares boiled liquid food, can provoke such a disease. Also, people with an increased risk of abdominal injury at work are susceptible to ulcerative lesions. So let’s try to identify the most common causes of ulcer formation.
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What causes the disease?: Symptoms Of Stomach Ulcer
Modern medicine knows for sure that the main causative agent of gastric. An ulcer is a specific bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. So, this bacterium’s specificity is that it can withstand the effects of a corrosive gastric environment. However, relying on gastric juice’s influence, Helicobacter pylori lives without problems inside the stomach and produces its waste products. So, these products poison the cells of the mucous membrane, causing them to die.
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Development of stomach ulcers
The bacterium can enter the human body in a variety of ways:
- through unwashed vegetables and fruits;
- through dirty dishes;
- together with saliva when kissing;
- through poorly disinfected medical instruments;
- from mother to child;
- through contaminated water.
- A stomach ulcer occurs under the influence of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. It lives inside the organ and excretes vital substances.
Also, ulcerative lesions can occur due to many supportive factors.
Among these factors, 5 can be distinguished:
- The systematic intake of certain drugs. In particular, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, indomethacin, diclofenac), anticoagulants, and glucocorticoids can provoke ulcerative lesions. Because it is worth noting that, in most cases, medications cause ulcers in representatives of retirement age (65 years and older).
- So, The influence of other pathologies. Among the provoking ailments are diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, cirrhosis of the liver.
The causes of ulcers: Symptoms Of Stomach Ulcer
Various damage to the stomach or other parts of the body. Injuries of the stomach, extensive burns, severe hypothermia, and a frequent nervous tension can affect ulcerative lesions. Poor nutrition. Because it was already mentioned above that this pathology could affect. Those who do not eat liquid hot food or eat, but very little.
But that’s not all. The disease can occur in people who:
- abuse of alcohol and tobacco products;
- So, drink a lot of carbonated drinks;
- subject themselves to systematic stress;
- excessively consume rich foods (buns, bread).
