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:
-
Scar tissue that narrows and eventually closes off the outlet of the stomach to the intestines and can cause:
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Intense pain
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