Sign & Symptoms of Ulcer

Signs and Symptom of Ulcer

Stomach pain is the most common symptom of an ulcer. This feels like sharp aches between the breastbone and the belly button.  This kind of pain usually comes a few hours after eating. This can also happen during the night or early in the morning.

The symptom of ulcer can be different by various types, though there are similarities with general symptom. The standard signs of a stomach ulcer or other type of ulcer are as follows:

• Abdominal pain – caused by the inflammation of the stomach lining and by  buildup of gases
• Heartburn – also known as acid reflux that is caused by slowing down of the digestive system
• Discomfort after meals – also related to above, usually a couple of hours after eating
• Anaemia – iron deficiency can come about as a result of the bacteria involved in causing ulcers
• Bad breath – again a cause of the bacteria
• Constipation – the bacteria causes the loss of food processing
• Nausea and vomiting – apparently caused by the bacteria

These are some of the main symptoms associated with stomach and other digestive system ulcers, so, it is vital to understand they can also occur with other condition. There are a number of lesser or secondary symptoms that can also manifest. Ex:

• Anxiety and depression
• nausea
• Fatigue and general tiredness
• Unusual headaches
• loss of appetite
• sudden, sharp stomach pains
• Sinus and sleep problems
• weight loss
• Abnormal weight gain or loss
• frequent burping or hiccupping
• bloody or blackish bowel movements

Untreated ulcers grow larger and deeper over time and can lead to other problem, such as bleeding in the digestive system or a hole in the wall of the stomach or duodenum, that can make someone very sick.

Pain is the most common symptom

Burning pain is the most common peptic ulcer symptom. Pain is caused by the ulcer and is aggravated by stomach acid coming in contact with the ulcerated area. Pain typically may:

• Be felt anywhere from navel up to breastbone.
• Flare at night.
• Be worse when stomach is empty.
• Relieved temporarily by eating certain foods that buffer stomach acid or by taking an acid reducing medication like antacids.
• Sometimes disappear and then return for a few days or weeks.

Symptoms of a stomach ulcer

• The most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is a burning or gnawing pain in the upper abdomen just below the sternum (breastbone). It usually comes and goes.  The pain can also travel up to neck, down to your navel (belly-button) or through to back. Sometimes food makes the pain worse. Pain may wake from sleep.
•  Other symptom that may occur includes: bloating, retching and feeling sick.
•  Complications develop in some cases that can be serious. These includes:

• Bleeding ulcer. This can range from a 'trickle' to a life-threatening bleed.
• Perforation. This is where the ulcer goes right through ('perforates') the wall of the stomach. Then food and acid in the stomach then leak into the abdominal cavity. It usually causes severe pain and is a medical emergency.

Symptom of a peptic ulcer

Symptom of ulcer disease are variable. A group of ulcer patients experience minimal indigestion, abdominal discomfort that occurs after meal. Some complain of upper abdominal burning or hunger pain one to three hours after meals or in the middle of the night. This symptom often are promptly relieved by food or antacids that neutralize stomach acid. Pain of ulcer disease correlates poorly with the presence or severity of active ulceration. Patient have  persistent pain even after an ulcer is almost completely healed by medications. Some experience no pain. Ulcer often come and go spontaneously without the individual ever knowing that they are present unless a serious complication (like bleeding or perforation) occurs.
The pain associated with a stomach ulcer is caused by the ulcer itself and stomach acid that comes into contact with the ulcer and irritates it.  Pain can last from a few minutes to a few hours.
Eating more food and taking antacids (indigestion medication) can often help relieve the pain of a duodenal ulcer, though not usually the pain of a stomach ulcer.

Symptoms based on Classification of Ulcer

Gastric Ulcer

The symptoms of gastric ulcer include feelings of indigestion, heartburn and repetition of gastrointestinal bleeding.  Pain of  ulcer is described as gnawing, dull, aching, or resembling hunger pang. Patient may be nauseated and suffer loss of appetite.  About 30% of patient with gastric ulcer are awakened by pain at night. A lot of patient have periods of chronic ulcer pain alternating with symptom free periods that last for several weeks or months. This kind of  characteristic is called periodicity.

Duodenal Ulcer

The symptoms of duodenal ulcer include heartburn, stomach pain relieved by eating or antacid, weight gain, and a burning sensation at the back of the throat. Patient is most likely to feel discomfort two to four hours after meal or sometimes after having citrus juice, coffee or NSAID like aspirin. About 50% of patients with duodenal ulcer awake during the night with pain. That occurs usually between midnight and three a.m. There is a regular pattern of ulcer pain associated with certain periods of day or night or a time interval after meals is called rhythmicity.

Types of Ulcer

Types of Ulcers

Ulcer is a problems occurring in digestive system. There can be many reasons for ulcer and some reasons can be quite simple whereas some can be quite complex. Digestive tract in human being consist of mouth, stomach, esophagus, duodenum  and  intestines. Wound starts appearing in the lining of digestive track in human being. Ulcer can be there in any part of our digestive system for various reasons but most of the time ulcers are located in the duodenum. Most common types of ulcer are peptic ulcer, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. By the location within the body, this ulcer are named.

Types of Ulcer-

1. Peptic Ulcer

Pepsin exposed ulcer are called peptic ulcer. This broad term includes sores of digestive tract in stomach or duodenum. Previously, it was believed that if anyone developed these types of sores due to spicy food and stress. A new research has shown that these are just the aggravating factor. Main causative agents are infection caused by H. pylori bacteria and reaction to certain medicine like non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID). The symptoms include abdominal discomfort and pain 2-3 hours after one has taken a meal or when on empty stomach. Other symptoms include weight loss, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite and bloating. 

2. Gastric Ulcer

When a peptic ulcer occurs in stomach, is called a gastric ulcer. This ulcer is usually due to NSAID use. A bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) cause this type of ulcer. In gastric ulcer antacid is used as a treatment option. In general the patient starts to feel well after two three weeks of using antacid.

3. Duodenal Ulcer

Duodenal ulcers occur in the duodenum that is the first part of small intestine. This kind of ulcer is mostly commonly caused by bacterial infection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). But if the test of the patient shows negativity for H. pylori infection or NSAID use then serum gastrin level should be checked.

Some less common types are following- 

4. Esophageal Ulcer

Esophageal Ulcer usually occurs in the lower end of the esophagus of a patient. This kind of ulcer caused by the harmful bacteria and that is why most doctors will recommend their patients to use antibiotics to kill these harmful bacteria. Patient with esophageal ulcer may also feel a lot of pain some times and this pain will increase as the Ulcer will come in contact with the acid present in stomach. In this case, patient may also feel difficulty in swallowing and may not eat normally.

5. Bleeding Ulcer

Sometime internal bleeding is caused by a peptic ulcer if that ulcer has been left untreated for a long time called bleeding ulcer and is the most dangerous type of ulcer. And this requires an immediate treatment.

6. Refractory Ulcer

Simple peptic ulcer that has not healed after at least 3 month of treatment are called refractory ulcer.

7. Stress Ulcer

Stress ulcers consist of a group of lesions and usually found in esophagus, stomach or duodenum. Stress Ulcer is normally present in the people who have other illness.  This kind of ulcer will usually go automatically once the stress level goes down. Among all, some of these ulcers are called Curling and Cushing's ulcer. Curling ulcer happens after a burn injury and a Cushing's ulcer can occur after severe head trauma.  The main mechanism of these ulcer is thought to be due to acute tissue hypoxia.

8. Cameron Ulcer

Cameron ulcers are linear erosions in the gastric mucosa that occur secondary to a hiatal hernia. This ulcer is proposed to be due to injury done by the surrounding diaphragm. Hiatal hernia is a part of the stomach pushing out of diaphragm.

9. Idiopathic Ulcer

Some ulcer have an unknown etiology. This kind of ulcer occurs secondarily to certain drugs, conditions, or the environment. Cigarette smoking is associated with increased incidence of peptic ulcer disease.

10. Mouth Ulcer

Sores that develop in the inner lining of the mouth are referred to as mouth ulcer. Common causes of sores in the mouth are measles, anemia, oral candidiasis, viral infection, chronic infection, throat cancer, mouth cancer and also deficiency of vitamin B. Mouth sore is white, yellow or gray in color and round or oval in shape. It causes pain and discomfort usually during eating or drinking. This ulcer can be cured within 10-14 days. In severe cases, it may take several weeks for these to heal completely.

11. Pressure Sores

These lesions are caused in patients who are confined to bed due to some debilitating illness or are on their way to recovery, they are called decubitus ulcer. The bedsore is also called pressure sores as they are caused due to pressure being exerted on skin for long time. In early stage a bedsore manifests itself as a persistent area of red skin that hurt and feel warm. This is also be accompanied with itching. There is loss of upper layer of skin and subsequent damage to the underlying tissue by increasing severity. It occurs on parts like back, hip, shoulder and buttock that are in contact with the bed as one lies down.

12. Genital Ulcer

These are caused due to sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis, thrush or genital herpes. Non-sexual causes of genital ulcer is infection caused by scabies, yeast, genital trauma and Behcet's disease. This ulcer can be  manifest as single or multiple ulcer which is mostly painful.  It may also be associated with rashes and itching sometimes.