There are many different symptoms associated with duodenal ulcers. They may include pain that wakes you in the middle of the night and eats away at your stomach, nausea or vomiting and a burning sensation when eating.
In most cases, a duodenal ulcer will respond to treatment. Your doctor will prescribe a combination of medicines that decrease acid production in your stomach. Other medications will be used to protect the stomach lining and speed healing of your ulcer.
Over the counter antacids can provide some relief and prevent more ulcers from developing. However, they are not enough to heal an ulcer, and they can cause other side effects.
Antibiotics are also prescribed to kill the bacteria that causes ulcers. Your doctor will recommend a course of antibiotics, depending on your medical history and condition.
Peptic ulcers are crater-like sores that form in the lining of your stomach (gastric ulcers) or the first part of your small intestine, called the duodenum (duodenal ulcers). Ulcers can occur at any age, but they are more common in older people.
The bacterium Helicobacter pylori can lead to ulcers in your stomach, and it is thought to cause about 60 per cent of all duodenal ulcers. Other known causes of duodenal ulcers include smoking, alcohol and long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Nausea, vomiting and pain that is worsened by eating are usually the first signs of a duodenal ulcer. Often, these symptoms occur after the patient has eaten a large meal, but can occur when a person has not consumed any food at all.
Bleeding is another symptom of a duodenal ulcer. This is caused when the body doesn’t produce enough blood to support the tissue in your stomach and duodenum. In extreme cases, this bleeding can result in a perforation or hole in your stomach or duodenum.
Black stools or vomiting blood are other possible symptoms. They may also indicate a perforation, which is an emergency situation and needs immediate attention by a doctor or emergency room.
It is important to get prompt treatment of an ulcer that leads to a perforation because it can be dangerous and even life-threatening. Your doctor will give you antibiotics and other medications to stop the bleeding.
Medicines that block acid are the most effective treatments for peptic ulcers. These medications include antacids and H2 blockers, like famotidine and cimetidine.
Other medications that are used to treat ulcers are a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), a class of drugs that reduce the amount of acid in your stomach and help protect your lining. Your doctor might also suggest a drug that blocks the histamine receptors in your stomach that tell your body to make more acid.
Your doctor will probably need to monitor you for a few weeks after you begin taking these medicines to make sure your ulcer is healing properly. If it doesn’t, your doctor will prescribe a different medication to help relieve the symptoms and slow down the progression of your ulcer.
