Stomach ulcers

Stomach ulcers - or peptic ulcer disease - can affect the main body of the stomach or the duodenum. The vast majority are associated with infection with Helicobacter pylori. This is a germ which is widespread in both the developed and the developing world. It inhabits the gastric mucosa and stimulates the production of more acid, which damages the mucosa and produces ulceration. There are tests available to indicate whether a person has ever been infected by Helicobacter pylori, and if positive eradication using antibiotics and powerful inhibitors of acid formation may prevent recurrence. If symptoms persist or recur then investigation using endoscopy (where a flexible fibre optic tube is used to examine the stomach and duodenum) will elucidate whether or not there is a more sinister underlying cause such as a gastric Cancer.
 
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