Stressing Out about a Bleeding Ulcer
No longer do doctors feel that a bleeding ulcer is caused solely by spicy food, stress or some other habit or lifestyle choice. Instead, there are quite a few studies that show bacterial infections as well as certain medications you may take can be the cause.
A peptic ulcer aka bleeding ulcer is an open sore which can develop in the lining of the upper part of your small intestine, the lining of your stomach or even in the mucosal lining of your esophagus. A burning pain as well as a host of other symptoms will likely manifest themselves but if you get treatment immediately, these ulcers could resolve themselves in short period of time.
Symptoms and Signs
A burning pain is the predominant symptom for a bleeding ulcer and typically is caused when stomach acid churns across the open sore. This burning pain typically is more active at night and may flare up on an empty stomach. You will be able to feel the pain from this peptic ulcer in the vicinity of your sternum to your belly button and may last a few hours to just a few minutes.
While not common, there are some more serious signs of a bleeding ulcer you may experience, especially if you choose to ignore the pain and put off treatment. Bright red or dark colored blood may come up in the course of vomiting and dark colored blood may show up in your stool. Chest pain can occur, with some people believing they are experiencing a heart attack, or even weight loss that cannot be adequately explained.
Known Causes
A bleeding ulcer may be known by different names, depending on where they are located within the body. For instance, a duodenal ulcer is a type of bleeding ulcer which forms in the duodenum which is the first area of the small intestine. A gastric ulcer occurs in the stomach while there are others that could form in the esophagus.
The cause of a bleeding ulcer can usually be traced to bacteria called H. pylori or Helicobacter pylori and if you look at them under a microscope they would be shaped like a corkscrew. These bacteria live normally in the mucosal layer of the small intestine and stomach but sometimes, something interferes with the bacterial harmony and causes inflammation in the lining. A bleeding ulcer is the result and it is interesting that sometimes these H. pylori can be transmitted to someone else through close contact like kissing.
Treatment Options
There are other contributors to the bleeding ulcer like stress, smoking, excessive alcohol intake and overuse of anti-inflammatory drugs like over the counter pain relievers. The treatment plan for a bleeding ulcer is typically a multi-prong approach using antibiotics to kill the bacteria as well as a medication to lower the acid levels in your digestive system.
Acid blockers can help a bleeding ulcer by reducing the acid produced in your digestive system while taking an antacid can alleviate the pain caused by the current acid present. Certain medications called cytoprotective agents work to preserve the integrity of the mucosal lining and are likely paired with other methods to control and speed up the healing process for the bleeding ulcer.
