Peptic ulcer disease

[PussyCat]

A peptic ulcer is a round or oval sore where the lining of the stomach or duodenum has been eaten away by stomach acid and digestive juices.

Peptic ulcers can result from Helicobacter pylori infection or from drugs that weaken the lining of the stomach or duodenum.
Discomfort caused by ulcers comes and goes and tends to occur after meals because stomach acid is produced in response to eating.
The diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease is based on symptoms of stomach pain and on the results of an examination of the stomach with a flexible viewing tube (upper endoscopy).
Antacids and other drugs are given to reduce acid in the stomach, and antibiotics are given to eliminate Helicobacter pylori.

(See also Introduction to Gastritis and Peptic Ulcer Disease.)
Ulcers penetrate into the lining of the stomach or duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). Ulcers may range in size from several millimeters to several centimeters. Ulcers can occur at any age, including infancy and childhood, but are most common among middle-aged adults. Gastritis (stomach inflammation) may develop into ulcer disease.
The names given to specific ulcers identify their anatomic locations or the circumstances under which they developed.
Duodenal ulcers, the most common type of peptic ulcer, occur in the first few inches of the duodenum.
Gastric ulcers (stomach ulcers) are less common and usually occur in the lower part of the stomach.
Marginal ulcers can develop when part of the stomach has been removed surgically, at the point where the remaining stomach has been reconnected to the intestine.
Stress ulcers, like those that form in acute stress gastritis, can occur as a result of the stress of severe illness, skin burns, or injury. Stress ulcers occur in the stomach and the duodenum.