Peptic Ulcers Symptoms

Ulcers do not always cause symptoms. Sometimes, a serious complication such as bleeding is the first sign of an ulcer.

The most common symptom of peptic ulcers by far is abdominal pain.

• The pain is usually in the upper middle part of the abdomen, above the belly button (navel) and below the breastbone.
  
  
• The pain can feel like burning or gnawing, and it may go through to the back.
  
  
• Pain often comes several hours after a meal when the stomach is empty.
  
  
• The pain is often worse at night and early morning.
  
  
• It can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
  
  
• The pain may be relieved by food, antacids, or vomiting.

Other symptoms of peptic ulcers include the following:

• Nausea
  
  
• Vomiting
  
  
• Loss of appetite
  
  
• Loss of weight

Very severe ulcers sometimes cause bleeding in the stomach or duodenum. Bleeding is sometimes the only symptom of an ulcer. This bleeding can be fast or slow. Fast bleeding reveals itself in one of the following ways:

• Vomiting of blood or dark material that looks something like coffee grounds: This is an emergency and warrants an immediate visit to an emergency department.
  
  
• Blood in the stool or black, tarry, sticky-looking stools

Slow bleeding is often more difficult to detect, because it has no dramatic symptoms.

• The usual result is low blood cell count (anemia).
  
  
• The symptoms of anemia are tiredness (fatigue), lack of energy (lethargy), weakness, and pallor.

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Peptic Ulcers - Symptoms At Onset Of Disease

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The symptoms of peptic ulcers can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?

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