Stomach Ulcer Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Ulcer disease is a term that is often used to describe disorders in the stomach. In the medical world, this condition is called dyspepsia.
Ulcer pain is discomfort in the upper abdomen or around the solar plexus. The nature of the pain is recurrent and also chronic.
It is known, about 25 percent of the general population suffers from dyspepsia each year.
Ulcer disease is usually not life-threatening. However, if it continues, it can affect the quality of life, as well as provide a significant economic burden for sufferers.
Stomach Ulcer
| Medical specialist | General practitioners and internal medicine specialists |
| Symptom | Pain around the solar plexus, a burning feeling in the chest, bloating, frequent belching, nausea and vomiting |
| Risk factor | Improper diet, depression, anxiety, stress, taking long-term pain relievers, smoking |
| How to diagnose | Interview, physical examination, H. Pylori test , endoscopy, x-ray |
| Treatment | Changes in diet, stop smoking, avoid wearing clothes that are tight around the chest, lose weight, take drugs, manage stress |
| Drug | Antacids and sucralfate, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) class drugs, H2-blocker class drugs, antibiotics |
| Complications | The body lacks nutrition, stomach ulcers, stomach bleeding, and decreased quality of life |
| When to see a doctor? | Persistent vomiting, vomiting blood, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, pain or difficulty swallowing, severe stomach pain for more than 1 hour. |
Stomach Ulcer Symptom
The most common mag symptoms are:
- discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen (around the solar plexus)
- a burning feeling in the chest
- bloated
- burp often
- sour mouth
- get full quickly when eating
- nausea
- vomit
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
Stomach Ulcer Reason
Mag is a symptom of various diseases. As many as 25 percent of patients with this condition have an underlying organic disorder.
Organic disorders that often cause stomach ulcers are stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach cancer, and the effects of long-term use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
On the other hand, as many as 75 percent of individuals with dyspepsia complaints did not find any underlying abnormalities when examined.
This is what is called functional dyspepsia. There are several factors that play a role, namely:
Disorders of Gastric Nerves or Muscles
Disturbances in this system cause slower gastric emptying, causing nausea, vomiting, early satiety, or bloating.
Sensitivity to Pain
Normally, the stomach will stretch when food enters it. Some people are sensitive to these events, so feel pain.
Helicobacter pylori infection
Helicobacter pylori bacteria can cause inflammation to ulcers in the stomach.
Psychological and Social Factors
Individuals with functional dyspepsia often experience anxiety or depression.
Dyspepsia symptoms will improve by treating depression or anxiety.
Risk Factors
There are several risk factors that increase the risk of ulcer complaints, namely:
- long-term use of pain relievers
- stress condition
- depression
- worry
- old age
- alcohol dependence
- smoking habit
- obesity
- other diseases: heart-related chest pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sleep disturbances
- Diet: eating too much, eating too quickly, fatty foods, spicy foods
Stomach Ulcer Diagnosis
There are several ways to diagnose dyspepsia. Here’s an explanation.
Interview and Physical Examination
To find out the cause of an ulcer, the doctor will conduct a detailed interview and physical examination.
Generally, this assessment is sufficient if the complaints experienced are mild, and no weight loss or repeated vomiting is found.
However, if the symptoms do not improve within 4-8 weeks or the symptoms are getting worse, investigations to determine the cause need to be done.
Based on the Rome III criteria, a person can be said to have an ulcer or dyspepsia when experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:
- Stomach feels full after eating
- feeling full quickly (unable to finish your usual portion of food)
- pain or burning sensation in the gut
H. Pylori bacteria test
Under certain conditions an examination will be carried out to detect the presence of this bacteria.
An examination can be through blood, feces (feces), or testing your breathing air.
Endoscope
In patients >55 years of age with serious symptoms, such as recurrent vomiting, weight loss, or difficulty swallowing, an endoscopy is performed.
This is done to see abnormalities in the upper digestive tract (oesophagus, stomach, and small intestine).
X-Ray
In all individuals, X-ray examination or CT scan can also be done if there is an indication.
This examination will provide an anatomical view of the digestive tract, and help find abnormalities such as ulcers (sores).
Stomach Ulcer Treatment
Many cases of ulcer disease are caused by unhealthy eating patterns.
Therefore, some patients will usually experience improvement in symptoms after making lifestyle changes which include:
- Changes in eating patterns or habits:
- Limit or avoid foods that are high in fat because they can slow gastric emptying.
- Chocolate, menthol, and alcohol will exacerbate ulcer symptoms. This is because the valve between the esophagus and stomach relaxes. This makes it easy for stomach acid to rise back up into the esophagus (reflux).
- Spicy and sour foods such as tomatoes and oranges can exacerbate dyspepsia symptoms, and so can coffee.
- Eat more frequently (5–6 times a day) in smaller portions, rather than 2–3 large meals.
- After eating, it is recommended to wait 2–3 hours before lying down. Therefore, snacking at night should be avoided.
- Avoid or quit smoking.
- If dyspepsia occurs at night, raise the head of the sleeping mattress by about 15–20 cm by propping up the mattress, not by placing a wedge under the head.
This is done so that the position of the esophagus and stomach is half-standing, thereby reducing reflux.
- Avoid wearing clothes that are tight around your chest. Lose weight.
- Quit smoking.
- Consumption of drugs.
- Looking for ways to deal with stress well. Emotional stress can increase stomach acid levels.
If this greatly affects the quality of life, the patient is advised to see a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Managing emotional stress is proven to improve physical and mental conditions.
- Alternative methods, such as relaxation techniques, meditation, hypnotherapy and acupuncture can also be used to help reduce ulcer symptoms.
Dyspepsia can be treated by general practitioners or internal medicine specialists.
Related Drugs
In addition to lifestyle changes, these ulcer medications can also reduce symptoms by lowering stomach acid levels.
- Antacids and sucralfate can help reduce acute symptoms of dyspepsia by coating the stomach wall so they are not irritated by stomach acid.
- Ulcer drugs belonging to the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) group function to reduce stomach acid production. For example, omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, and esomeprazole
- H2-blocker class drugs also function to reduce stomach acid production, such as ranitidine, famotidine, and cimetidine. This drug doesn’t have as good an effect as PPI class drugs, but it can reduce pain in a faster time
- Antibiotics in patients infected with H. pylori to kill this germ
Prevention
Lifestyle changes like the one below will reduce the frequency and overcome stomach ulcers.
- Reduce or avoid spicy, sour and high-fat foods
- Eat more frequently (5–6 times a day) with smaller portions, as opposed to 2–3 large meals
- Avoid lying down after eating. Leave a gap of 3 hours between eating and sleeping
- Limiting or stopping the consumption of alcohol and caffeine (coffee)
- Avoid or quit smoking
- Reducing or avoiding the use of NSAIDs, corticosteroids and anticoagulants (anti-blood clotting)
- Manage stress and anxiety
Complications
- Functional dyspepsia usually does not cause serious complications. However, if it occurs continuously, this condition will affect the quality of life and productivity
- The body can also be malnourished due to loss of appetite. As a result, a person will become sick more easily, so they cannot work or do activities
- Under certain conditions, ulcers can be complicated by gastric ulcers and bleeding in the stomach
When to See a Doctor
Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following conditions:
- >50 years of age when symptoms first appear
- persistent vomiting
- vomiting blood
- unintentional weight loss, or loss of appetite
- black-red stools; resembling coffee
- pain or difficulty swallowing
- severe abdominal pain that lasts more than 1 hour
- intermittent abdominal pain for more than 24 hours
- have a fever >39oC
- there is a history of cancer in the family