Symptoms

Peptic ulcers do not always cause symptoms. Symptoms may come and go. Food may increase gastric ulcer pain. Food will often relieve duodenal ulcer pain.

Symptoms include:

• Gnawing pain
  • May awaken you from sleep
  • May change when you eat
  • May last for a few minutes or several hours
  • Feels like unusually strong hunger pangs
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Bloating
• Burping

Ulcers can cause serious problems and severe abdominal pain. Problems include:

• Bleeding—symptoms may include:
  • Black, tarry stools
  • Vomiting what looks like coffee grounds
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Anemia
• Perforated ulcer—a breaking through the wall of the stomach or duodenum that will cause:
  • Sudden and severe pain
• Scar tissue that narrows and eventually closes off the outlet of the stomach to the intestines and can cause:
  • Vomiting
  • Weight loss
  • Intense pain

Duodenal Ulcer

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Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Tell your doctor about all medication you are taking.

Tests may include:

• Rectal exam and stool guaiac test —to test for hidden blood
• Blood test or breath test—to check for H pylori infection
  • A blood test can also check for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
• Upper GI series —a series of x-rays of the upper digestive system taken after drinking a barium solution
• Endoscopy—a thin, lighted tube inserted down the throat to look inside the digestive tract used to:
  • Obtain tissue samples to test for H pylori infection or for cancer
  • Eliminate other serious causes of gastrointestinal symptoms