Chances are you have heard the word ulcer before, but did you ever actually make the connection that there are different ulcers in different parts of the body? A lot of people still think of the stomach when they here the word ulcer, and that is partially because stomach ulcers, or peptic ulcers are very common.
A stomach ulcer is a sore, or open wound, located, as the name implies, in the stomach. They tend to hurt a lot, though they don’t always hurt.
Stomach ulcers occur when bacteria that is commonly referred to as H. pylori, which stands for Helicobacter pylori, is in the stomach weakening the stomach liner. When it gets weak enough, your stomach acid often seeps into the very sensitive tissue that the stomach liner works to protect. When this happens, your stomach acid, and the bacteria that has made its way their, irritate this sensitive tissue until a sore is formed.
The sores that you suffer from with stomach ulcers tend to be very painful, although, like what was said before, this isn’t necessarily true for all people. This is because, like with so many other things, people react differently to these sores.
If you suspect that you have a stomach ulcer, you need to go and see a doctor. A good sign that you are suffering is the burning pain, which many people believe to be heartburn, which lasts any where from half an hour to three hours, but reoccurs constantly. The pain may also wake you up at night. Generally the pain will go away when you drink milk and, for some people, eat.
To determine whether or not you have a stomach ulcer, your doctor will talk to you about the pain you are experiencing, and the other symptoms you may be having. The doctor should also run a test to find out if you have any H. pylori in your system. If it turns out that you do have this in your system, then you doctor will prescribe you some medicine and should talk to you about the treatment for your stomach ulcer.