How to recognize the symptoms and get your peptic ulcer questions answered.<\/p>\n\n\n
A peptic ulcer is a sore in the lining of the bowel in the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine (duodenum) which becomes inflamed when digestive acid and enzymes are produced to digest food. The ulcer causes pain and can be quite debilitating. The ways in which ulcerations form are better understood all the time. This continues to be an important area of research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is estimated 8 to 10 million people are infected with H. pylori. The proportion of people with this infection increases considerably with age. About 10-20% of infected adults will develop ulcers. In First Nation communities, approximately 75% of the people are infected. H. pylori infection is considered to be a carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) as it is associated with the development of stomach cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many years it was thought that stress or certain foods caused ulcers. It is now known that most ulcers are caused by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) that infects the stomach and duodenum and results in inflammation, pain and the actual ulcer. The initial infection usually first occurs in childhood, although an ulcer may not develop for many years. The second most common cause of an ulcer can be aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n