Imagine not being able to eat what you would like in a party, when everyone delights with your favorite food. People with stomach ulcers may have this problem quite often because they know if they allow themselves such pleasures, intense stomach pain might end up ruining the night. Stomach ulcers is one of the last stages of peptic disease, a chronic condition that is associated with increased acidity in the stomach and subsequent injury to the stomach lining.
Stomach ulcer might end up in stomach perforation and put your life at severe risk, and when caused by Helicobacter pylori it is often associated with stomach cancer. Is it possible to suspect stomach ulcer or a similar condition? Yes, it is. In the following paragraphs we will give you a list of 13 symptoms stomach ulcers produce, listed from the most common to the least common. This way, you will learn to identify this condition, and you can start treatment as soon as possible.
First of all, you must know that small ulcers may not cause any symptoms. Indeed, about 75% of patients suffering from stomach ulcers have no signs whatsoever. Therefore, in most cases, the condition is discovered when the patient shows signs of anemia or an episode of bleeding from the digestive tract.
The top 12 signs and symptoms in patients with active and symptomatic stomach ulcers are as follows:
1. Abdominal pain or burning
It is one of the first symptoms that commonly appears. It is a dull ache usually located in the upper abdomen, between the sternum and the navel. It may appear: 1) during the night, 2) in the early hours of the morning, 3) a few hours after eating or 4) when you feel your stomach is empty. Sometimes, it can disappear after eating something or taking an antacid. Usually, this pain is intermittent, lasting from a few minutes to several hours, and coming and going for several days or weeks.