Could My Abdominal Pain Be Caused by a Stomach Ulcer?

When a condition enters our vernacular — “This is giving me an ulcer!” — you know it’s fairly common. Such is definitely the case with stomach (or peptic) ulcers, which affect about 1 out of every 10 people at some point in their lives. Closer to home, stomach ulcers develop in about 4 million people in the United States each year.

While peptic ulcers come with different symptoms, one of the most noticeable is abdominal pain. If you want to get to the bottom of your stomach discomfort, a great place to start is to read the following — a primer on ulcers that Dr. Sam Weissman and our team pulled together.

Behind peptic ulcers

A stomach or gastric ulcer is a sore that develops in the lining of your stomach, but you can also develop a sore in the upper part of your small intestine, which is called your duodenum. Whether you have a stomach or duodenal ulcer, they’re both called peptic ulcers because of the involvement of pepsin, a stomach acid.

Under normal circumstances, your stomach and duodenum are lined with a protective layer of mucus that shields these organs from the harsh acids and enzymes in your gastric juices. If this layer starts to erode, the acids and enzymes can get in, which leads to inflammation and, eventually, an ulcer.

Peptic ulcers typically develop for one of two reasons: 1) A bacterial infection caused by Helicobacter pylori; or 2) Overusing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen, which irritate the lining of your digestive system.

Signs of a peptic ulcer

Now, let’s get to your stomach pain. One of the most noticeable signs of a stomach or duodenal ulcer is abdominal pain, which occurs when harsh acids come into contact with your sensitive and inflamed ulcer. This pain often occurs at night or a few hours after eating, and it’s often described as dull or burning. The pain often goes away if you eat something.

Outside of abdominal discomfort, people with peptic ulcers can also experience:

• Feeling full before you're done eating
• Nausea and vomiting
• Heartburn and chest pain
• Bloody or dark stools
• Bloating
• Belching

Thanks to the abdominal pain and feeling full sooner than you should, many people with peptic ulcers lose a little weight.

Relieving your abdominal pain

The best way to figure out what’s beyond your stomach pain is to come see us. If, after an extensive evaluation, we find that you have an ulcer, we can start treating you right away. In most cases, we prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria, as well as medications that reduce the level of acids in your stomach, which should make you more comfortable.

If you have more questions about peptic ulcers or you’d like to schedule a visit, please call our Brighton Beach area office in Brooklyn, New York, at 609-793-9375 or request an appointment through this website.