Peptic ulcer Health Article

Definition

A peptic ulcer is erosion in the lining of the stomach or the first part of the small intestine, an area called the duodenum.

If the peptic ulcer is located in the stomach it is called a gastric ulcer.

Alternative Names

Ulcer - peptic; Ulcer - duodenal; Ulcer - gastric; Duodenal ulcer; Gastric ulcer

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Normally, the lining of the stomach and small intestines are protected against the irritating acids produced in your stomach. But for a variety of different reasons, the protective process can stop working correctly, and the lining breaks down. The results in inflammation (gastritis) or an ulcer.

Most ulcers occur in the first layer of the inner lining. A hole that goes all the way through is called a perforation. A perforation is a medical emergency.

The most common cause of such damage is infection of the stomach by bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori). Most people with peptic ulcers have these bacteria living in their gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Yet, many people who have such bacteria in their stomach do not develop an ulcer.

The following also raise your risk for peptic ulcers:

• Drinking too much alcohol
• Regular use of aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Smoking cigarettes or using tobacco

If you have a family history of ulcers or the blood type O, you are more likely to get a duodenal ulcer.

A rare condition called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome causes stomach and duodenal ulcers. Persons with this disease have a tumor in the pancreas that releases high levels of a hormone, which causes an increase in stomach acid.

Many people believe that stress causes ulcers. It is not clear if this is true, at least for everyday stress at home. However, a very ill patient who is on a breathing machine is at risk for so-called “stress ulceration.”