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A brief overview of common symptoms of stomach ulcers
With stomach ulcers, you experience a burning or aching pain high in the stomach, this is the most common symptom. Many people also experience nausea, early satiety or involuntary weight loss. The pain is often worse on an empty stomach and can then be temporarily relieved by food. Here you can read more about symptoms of stomach ulcers.
How does it feel when you have a stomach ulcer?
- Pain nature: burning, stinging or aching in the upper part of the stomach.
- Time: worst on an empty stomach - at night or early morning.
- Relief/worsening: often relieved by food but returns after 1–2 hours.
- Radiation: can radiate to the back or chest, sometimes misinterpreted as heart problems.
- Associated symptoms: heartburn, acid reflux, nausea and bloating.
Bleeding stomach ulcer - a symptom to take seriously
A bleeding stomach ulcer is an acute condition. If you experience black, tarry stools, bloody vomit (which may resemble coffee grounds), dizziness, cold sweats or a feeling of fainting, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Why do you get stomach ulcers?
What happens in the stomach with stomach ulcers is that the balance between the acid in the stomach and the protection of the mucous membrane is disrupted. Some common causes of this are:
- Infection with Helicobacter pylori: damages the mucous membrane and is one of the most common causes.
- Long-term use of NSAIDs: e.g. ibuprofen and naproxen, which weaken the mucosal barrier.
- Lifestyle: smoking, high alcohol consumption and prolonged stress make healing more difficult.
- Other conditions: severe infections or chronic diseases can increase the risk.
Do you have symptoms of a stomach ulcer and want to find out if you are affected?
Since symptoms can overlap with other stomach problems, an investigation is usually needed to find out if you have a stomach ulcer. A common first step is to test whether you carry Helicobacter pylori, a main cause of stomach ulcers. You can do this by taking a blood test that analyzes whether you have antibodies (IgG) against the bacterium. A positive result indicates that you have or have had the infection. In the event of ongoing symptoms or suspicion of active infection, the test may need to be supplemented with a stool antigen test or urea breath test. If you experience alarm symptoms such as black, tarry stools, bloody vomiting, unexplained weight loss or severe, persistent pain, you should seek emergency medical attention. In some cases, the diagnosis of a stomach ulcer is confirmed with gastroscopy.
Read more and order Helicobacter pylori IgG test here.