The main symptom of a stomach ulcer is pain in the “pit of the stomach”, which is located approximately 4 to 5 fingers above the navel, and which usually appears between meals or at night, being difficult to control even with medications that improve the acidity.
In addition to pain in the stomach, it is also possible to notice pain and burning in the middle of the chest, a constant feeling of a full stomach, general malaise, dark stools and weight loss without an apparent cause.
An ulcer is a wound in the stomach, which hurts and worsens when gastric juice comes into contact with the wound, as this liquid is acidic and causes more irritation and inflammation in the affected area. The main cause of gastric ulcers is the presence of bacteria H. pylori in the stomach, but this problem can also appear due to stress or the use of anti-inflammatories.
Stomach ulcer symptoms
The main symptoms of stomach ulcers are:
- Constant feeling of a bloated stomach;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Pain and burning in the throat or in the middle of the chest;
- General malaise;
- Burping;
- Weight loss for no apparent reason;
- Very dark or reddish stools.
The presence of reddish feces or vomit is usually indicative of bleeding in the intestine, making it necessary to see a doctor to identify the location and cause of the problem, most of the time being a consequence of chronic gastritis.
Online symptom test
Stomach ulcer is a type of peptic ulcer. To find out if you have a peptic ulcer, please select the symptoms you present:
This test is a tool that serves as a means of guidance only. Therefore, it is not intended to provide a diagnosis and does not replace consultation with a gastroenterologist or general practitioner.
How to confirm the diagnosis
In many cases, the doctor may suspect a stomach ulcer just by evaluating the symptoms presented, however, as the symptoms can also indicate other problems in the digestive system, it is common for the doctor to order additional tests such as endoscopy, for example.
Read too: Digestive endoscopy: what it is, what it is for and preparation
Furthermore, as one of the main causes of ulcers is infection by the bacteria H. pylorithe doctor may also order a urease test, blood tests or a breath test with marked urea, to find out if it really is a case of bacterial infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics.
Make an appointment with the nearest gastroenterologist to evaluate your symptoms and begin the best treatment, if necessary:
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Who is most at risk
The appearance of stomach ulcers is more common in people who have a yeast infection. H. pyloriuse anti-inflammatory medications for a long time and without medical advice.
Furthermore, other possible risk factors, for which scientific evidence is still limited, are: always being under stress, having a diet rich in foods that are difficult to digest and fat, and consuming alcoholic beverages and cigarettes excessively. Find out the main causes of stomach ulcers.
Bibliography
- NHS INFORM. Stomach ulcer. Disponível em: <https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-gastrointestinal-tract/stomach-ulcer#about-stomach-ulcers>. Acesso em 06 jul 2023
- NHS. Overview -Stomach ulcer. Available at: <https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stomach-ulcer/>. Accessed on 06 Jul 2023
- STATPEARLS. Gastric Ulcer. 2023. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537128/>. Accessed on 06 Jul 2023
- BITTENCOURT, Paulo FS et al.. Gastroduodenal peptic ulcer and Helicobacter pylori infection in children and adolescents. . J. Pediatr. (Rio J.). v. 82, no. 5, p. 325-334, 2006. Accessed on: 03/18/2020. Available at: <http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0021-75572006000600004&lng=en&nrm=iso>.
- AMB and CFM. Peptic ulcer. Project guidelines. Available at: https://diretrizes.amb.org.br/_BibliotecaAntiga/ulcera-peptica.pdf . Accessed on: 03/18/2020.
