The term peptic ulcer describes a small hole within someone’s digestive system. This condition most commonly occurs in the stomach. However, ulcers can also occur in the duodenum or small intestine. Bacteria are the most common cause of ulcers but long-term use of medication like NSAIDs can also be at fault. If an ulcer is untreated it can cause significant pain and even put people at risk for other medical problems. As such, it’s important to be on the lookout for the following ten symptoms of an ulcer.
1. Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is such a common symptom of peptic ulcers that people often assume it will always be part of the experience. While that’s not the case, it’s generally safe to assume that ulcers will eventually escalate to this point if left untreated. Abdominal pain associated with ulcers typically centers within a region between the belly and breast bone. Abdominal pain caused by ulcers is typically tied in with a person’s level of stomach acid. The pain is most intense when there’s no food or water in the stomach to dilute levels of digestive acid. This is most commonly experienced after waking up in the morning or between meals. Antacids can relieve the pain by decreasing the acidity of stomach acid. However, this is only a temporary relief that will quickly wear off over the next few hours.