Gastric Ulcer

Gastric Ulcer – General Information

During a normal process of digestion, the food goes through the esophagus into the stomach. The stomach produces the gastric acid which plays an important role during digestion; then the food which was mixed by the stomach passes into the small intestine, where the enzymes break it down in order to be absorbed by the organism. During this process, however, some problems and complications can appear: peptic ulcer, peptic inflammation or stomach ulcer. A peptic inflammation develops because of the action of gastric acid in the stomach. A peptic ulcer it is also caused by the acid in the stomach, but it is more severe and dangerous. It can be described as a red and small crater inside the gut; an ulcer also affects the tissue which is placed beneath the inflammation. A Gastric Ulcer is a form of peptic ulcer, which appears when the stomach can not deal with the abnormal quantities of gastric acid. In this case, the tissues which protect the surface of the stomach against the acid are eliminated and the acid reaches the stomach membrane. There are a lot of causes which can increase the possibility of suffering from Gastric Ulcer. The most common cause is the infection with H. pylori, a bacterium which affects the stomach protective tissues and allows the acid to determine an inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs can also favor an inflammation; some rare causes include virus infections. In some cases, a Gastric Ulcer can be associated with a stomach cancer, but the last one is more severe and needs urgent intervention.

Gastric Ulcer – Symptoms

In the case of a Gastric Ulcer, the signs and symptoms develop in a fast rhythm and, in most of the cases, are quite easy to be noticed and determined. The most common symptom is the pain which appears in the abdominal area; although the pain attacks are shot and not too severe, it is extremely important to ask a doctor’s advice. In some cases, if the pain is not the result of a serious disease, it can be treated using antacid drugs. However, if the pain is a sign of Gastric Ulcer it may worsen while you are eating and it can appear anytime, even when you are sleeping. Other common signs include: retching, bloating and a general feeling of discomfort, especially after a meal. If the disease is not discovered in due time, it can worsen fast and it can lead to some serious complications, such as perforation of the stomach and bleeding. In the case of bleeding, the patient must pay a lot of attention at the intensity; in some cases, this can even be a life-threatening complication. A perforation of the stomach membrane appears when the ulcer affects the protective tissues in a fast and unexpected way. In the case of a perforation, the entire quantity of food which reaches the stomach as well as the acid which is produced by the stomach are eliminated in the abdominal cavity. This results in extreme pain and has to be treated immediately, as it can lead to severe complications and even sudden death.

Gastric Ulcer – Treatment

If you notice one or more of the signs and symptoms described above, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible in order to obtain a sure diagnosis. The first test which your doctor will probably recommend you is an endoscopy. During this test, the doctor can analyze the interior of your stomach using a thin telescope and he can see any ulcers or inflammations. Another test is usually taken in order to detect the presence of H. pylori; if any bacteria are detected in the interior of the stomach then the doctor will probably consider them to be the cause of the Gastric Ulcer. Another test includes the analysis of small samples collected from the tissues which protect the stomach; the result of this test can also inform whether the patient suffers from cancer or not.

If the doctor diagnoses you with Gastric Ulcer, he will choose the best treatment, considering the cause of the disease. If the disease is caused by an infection with H. pylori bacteria, then the purpose of the treatment is to eliminate the infection. In order to do so, the doctor will probably recommend you the administration of antibiotics for about a week. In some rare cases, the infection can reappear after a certain period. If the Gastric Ulcer is the result of the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs, the doctor will interrupt the treatment and he will try to replace the drugs in order not to cause any other side-effects. If the drugs can not be replaced, then the patient has to stop the treatment until the ulcer is eliminated and then he will probably be prescribed an acid-suppressing substance, which will not interfere with the action of the current treatment, but will reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach and, consequently, the possibility of suffering from this disease.

After the patient is administrated the proper treatment, he has to be carefully supervised for a certain period of time and the doctor will probably recommend a few days in the hospital. After these procedures, the patient has to be periodically supervised in order to eliminate any possibility of the disease to reappear. In some cases, when the patient is treated against Gastric Ulcer using antibiotics, a second course of administration may be needed in order to clear the infection completely. After the treatment is completed, the patient has to be extremely careful and he has to eliminate from his daily routine any habits which can increase the possibility of suffering from Gastric Ulcer. He may be advised to consult a dietitian and to follow a certain diet for a couple of weeks or months. He should, however, eliminate from his alimentary habits the spicy foods, the sweets and citrus fruits. Another important advice which the sufferer should take into consideration is to quit smoking (if he used to smoke before the treatment) and to quit drinking alcohol or any acidulated drinks (at least for a period of time); he should use instead natural juices, water and any kind of tea.