Peptic Ulcer Disease

Peptic Ulcer Disease is common. It refers to open sores that develop in the gut lining of the stomach, upper small intestine or oesophagus. The sores develop when the acidic digestive juice secreted by the stomach cells corrode the lining of the organs. The Peptic Ulcer is named accordingly to its occurrence location; gastric ulcer when it develops in stomach, duodenal ulcer when it develops in the first part of small intestines/duodenum and oesophagus ulcer when it develops at the lower section of oesophagus. Oesophagus ulcers are often associated with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Peptic Ulcer Disease occurs when the stomach is infected by bacteria known as Heliocobater pylori (H.pylori), regular use of pain reliever medications, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and stress.

Symptoms may or may not be present. Burning pain or abdominal pain. The pain typically may be felt anywhere from your navel up to your breastbone, last from a few minutes to several hours, is worse when your stomach is empty, flares at night, is temporarily relieved by eating certain foods that buffer stomach acid or by taking an acid-reducing medication, disappears and then returns after a few days or weeks.

Symptoms that occur less often:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Unexplained weight loss
• Appetite changes
• Vomiting of blood – appear red or black

There are a few ways to diagnose Peptic Ulcer Disease such as:

• Blood test
• Breath test
• Stool antigen test
• Barium upper gastrointestinal (upper GI) X-ray
• Upper endoscopy

Treatment of Peptic Ulcer Disease is a two-pronged approach.

Firstly, the bacteria is killed and the level of acid in the digestive system is reduced to relieve pain and encourage healing.

This is accompanied by medications such as antibiotics, acid blockers, antacids, proton pump inhibitors, and cytoprotective agents.