Ulcer Symptoms
What is Ulcer?
Ulcers are sores as like crater which sometimes 1 - 2 inches in the diameter and that appears in lining of the stomach, just below the stomach and at begging of small intestine. It is less commonly occurred in the esophagus also called as esophageal ulcers. Generally, ulcers appeared in duodenum and stomach is referred as peptic ulcers.
Numbers of muscles are present in the stomach and these muscles are useful for crushing and mixing of food with the digestive juices. Digestive juices are pepsin and hydrochloric acid.
Misbalancing between the defensive and aggressive factors causes the cancer. Much acid and pepsin can damage the stomach and ulcer can cause while the other hand because of some other causes damage happens, making lining of stomach more vulnerable.
If person suffering from the ulcer and doesn't get proper treatment then it leads to the bleeding ulcer, a perforated ulcer or obstruction or narrowing of the intestinal which prevents food from leaving the stomach and entering into the small intestine.
Causes of Ulcer
Many types of ulcers are caused because of H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori). Acid and other types of juices created by the stomach can provide contribution to the ulcer by blazing the digestive track. This may be happen when body or stomach produces too much acid or lining of digestive system is damaged because of any reason. Emotional or physical stress is not a particular cause of the ulcer is Physical or emotional stress may not necessarily cause an ulcer, but it makes ulcer worsen if person suffering from the ulcer.
Ulcers may cause because of anti-inflammatory medicines. Long term use of these medicines damages the lining of stomach and causes the ulcer. Anti-inflammatory drugs are naproxen (brand name: Aleve), aspirin(one brand name: Motrin), ketoprofen (brand names: Actron, Orudis KT) and the some prescription drugs for arthritis.
Ulcer Symptoms
There are no any particular ulcer symptoms or it may be depends on that person. Following are general ulcer symptoms:
Diagnosis of Ulcer
There are many options available for diagnosing the ulcer symptoms such as endoscopy test, H. pylori and the x-ray test. In endoscopy test is diagnostic process in which direct upper track of digestive is given within the body. Using the fiber optic endoscope instrument, doctor follows the same path through which food takes into the body, tests the esophagus, duodenum and stomach.
If the doctor supposes the ulcers, an upper gastrointestinal series of the stomach, esophagus, and the duodenum will generally be performed. Chalky liquid containing barium will be swallowing by patient, which is useful for making the ulcer visible on x-ray.
Gastroscopy is also used by the doctor. In this test a device which is flexible tube shaped containing light property is inserted into the throat for enabling the doctor to see the ulcer and samples of the tissues may be get for the microscopic tests for determining ulcer symptoms are cancerous or not.
The appearance of H. pylori is very important for diagnosing because removing the H. pylori may cure the ulcer. By taking the tests of blood, tissue and breath, H. pylori may be identified. Blood sample is used in the blood test for detecting and measuring the H. pylori antibodies.
Treatment of Ulcer
For modifying lifestyle and reducing the stress, doctor treats duodenal and gastric ulcer with different types of medicines. Medicines may contain H2-blockers, proton-pump and inhibitors. For treating the H. pylori, all above mentioned medicines are used with the antibiotics. If these medications are not effective then or any complications occur then surgery is very important.
Medications
The acid made by the stomack is reduced using the H2-blockers. These medications include ranitidine (Zantac), cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid) and the nizatidine (Axid). A single bedtime dose initiates healing a gastric ulcer in 6-8 weeks and duodenal ulcer in 4 weeks.
Creation of acid in stomach is modified using proton-pump inhibitors, which stops the acid pump of the stomach that is the final stage of creation of acid. The medicines available for this are omeprazole (Prilosec). This drug is 10 times powerful than H2-blockers in minimizing creation of acid in stomach. This powerful acid inhibitor minimizes ninety five percent of creation of acid in stomach. This is useful for those people those does not give response to H2-blockers or other medications.
Mucous lining of stomach from acid is protected using mucosal protective agents. The medications are misoprostol (Cytotec) and sucralfate (Sulcrate or Carafate). The non prescription medicines are bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) and antacids (such as Tums and Rolaids).
Except only acid suppression, short course of high dose of antibodies is useful for treating the H. pylori peptic and ulcer. Without using antibacterial therapy, there are 75 percent chances of reoccurring the ulcer again but using antibacterial therapy, one percent chance of reoccurring of ulcer. Dual therapy and triple therapy are commonly used now days.
Dual therapy contains
- Amoxicillin taken two - four times in a day or Biaxin may take 3 times in a day
- Prilosec take 2 times in a day
This dual therapy treatment is eighty percent effective in reducing the danger of reoccurrences of the ulcer or removing the H. pylori bacteria.
Triple therapy includes
- Metronidazole (Flagyl), an antibiotic taken four times a day
- Pepto-Bismol taken four times a day
- Tetracycline (Achromycin or Sumycin), an antibiotic taken four times a day
This triple therapy treatment is ninety percent effective in reducing the danger of reoccurrences of the ulcer or removing the H. pylori bacteria.
Surgery
For removing the ulcer or ulcer symptoms, common surgeries are used such as antrectomy, vagotomy and pyloroplasty.
Antrectomy surgery removes lower part of the stomach. This lower part is known as antrum which creates hormones that stimulates stomach for secretion of digestive juices. Openings are enlarges by this into the small intestine and duodenum, allowing freely pass the contents from the stomach.
Vagotomy surgery cuts the vagus nerve which transmits messages from brain to the stomach. This reduces the secretion of acid.
Pyloroplasty surgery performed with the vagotomy.
Some important information about ulcer
