Stomach ulcers
Ulcers occur when a particular bacterium causes infection. People suffering from stomach ulcers will often be woken up in the night be a severe pain in the upper abdomen.
An endoscopy is usually carried out to confirm the presence of an ulcer. This will also involve taking a biopsy to check that the ulcer isn’t harmful.
A test to see if bacteria called H. pylori is present may also be carried out by taking a stool sample, through a biopsy taken during an endoscopy or a breath test.
Treatment
Acid-suppressing medication is used to treat the ulcers. Taken over 4-8 weeks, the drugs work on the cells that line the stomach to help the balance of acid return to normal.
If your ulcer is caused by h.pylori bacteria, antibiotics will be used to get rid of the bacteria. You may be asked to take this in combination with the acid-suppressing drugs.
