Stomach ulcers, or sores, form when the acids that help digest food damage the walls of the stomach or small intestine. H. pylori bacteria enable this process by attacking the stomach lining, which is meant to protect the stomach from its own gastric juices.
Doctors typically diagnose ulcers via an endoscopy, which uses a thin, flexible tube with a light and video camera on the end, known as an endoscope, to visually inspect the digestive tract. A blood, stool or urea breath test can be used to detect the presence of H. pylori.
Ronald Hsu, M.D., a gastroenterologist with the Sutter Roseville Medical Center, says two Australian researchers discovered in the early 1980s that a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori is the root cause of most stomach ulcers. “Nobody believed them when this was discovered,” Dr. Hsu says. “The conventional thinking at that time was ...
Stress can also worsen ulcers as it can cause the body to produce larger amounts of acid, irritating an existing ulcer. Increased acid in the stomach makes it difficult for an ulcer to heal, just like picking at a scab on your skin or scratching a rash delays the healing process.
It’s impossible to ignore the gnawing, aching abdominal pains that accompany a stomach ulcer. About 25 million Americans suffer from an ulcer at some point in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Not everyone who is infected with H. Pylori develops stomach ulcers, but those who do often experience burning pain anywhere from their navel to breastbone. Stomach ulcer symptoms are frequently worse between meals and at night, with pain lasting minutes or hours. The pain can come and go for several days or weeks.
Pain Medications and Stomach Ulcers. While H. pylori is the main cause of most stomach ulcers, people who use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen on a long-term basis are at a higher risk of developing the painful sores. Dr.