Patients with Stomach Ulcers and Hernias

Patients with Stomach Ulcers and Hernias Stomach ulcers are sores in the lining of the stomach or small intestines that can be very painful. Stomach ulcers are usually a sign of peptic ulcer disease, but they can also occur as a complication of other conditions. When the layer of mucus that protects the stomach from digestive juices is reduced it enables the digestive acids to eat away at the lining of the stomach. Stomach ulcers can be treated, but they can become very severe and potentially fatal without proper treatment. They should be very closely monitored.

What causes stomach ulcers?

Stomach ulcers can originate due to several factors, they are often caused by an infection with the bacterium, long-term use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, excess acid in the stomach, and a rare disease that can make the body produce excess stomach acid. Certain factors and behaviors can put a person in a higher risk category for developing stomach ulcers.

This includes, smoking, frequent use of steroids to treat asthma, a family history of ulcers, being over 50 years old or excessive consumption of alcohol.

Symptoms of stomach ulcers Common symptoms of stomach ulcers can be a burning sensation or pain between your chest and belly button. As a general rule when your stomach is empty the feeling becomes more intense and can last for a few minutes or several hours. Stomach ulcers are very common, and an estimated 4 million Americans suffer from peptic ulcer disease. Other common symptoms of this condition include not eating due to pain, nausea or vomiting, bloating, burping or acid reflux and heartburn. A doctor should be consulted if symptoms of peptic ulcers last for more than three days.

Related: How to Handle Your Anxiety on the Job Hernias A hernia is when the protrusion of an organ or tissue from its normally contained space happens. I hernia is often a piece of bowel and it intrudes through a weak area in the abdominal wall. It’s not that uncommon to have this happen especially if you’ve undergone surgery in the abdomen area.

Areas of the abdomen that have had surgery can have weak spots which allows a hernia to break through. The most common form of hernias are groin hernias, which can develop from over straining that area.

A 45-year-old woman came into the emergency room complaining of stomach pain that was severe. An examination the physician pushed on her abdomen and found one area in the center of the stomach to be very sore, protruding more than the other areas, and was somewhat of a spongy feel.

The first guess was correct, a CT scan confirmed she had a hernia. The following day she had surgery to repair the hernia, and that evening went home. This particular patient had surgery on her abdomen three years prior and this was a situation that her abdomen walls were weak making it easy for hernia to develop.

Hernias are rarely serious, and are often present in babies. Often an outpatient procedure is performed and the patient is fine afterwards. Hernias can be more serious on elderly people. Elderly people may not always notice pain quickly enough, which is the indication that there is a hernia and that it’s a problem. Some people can have excessive blood loss during surgery, and of course anytime a person is put to sleep even for a short period of time there is a risk.

Related: Soothing Tired Feet Hernias and ulcers are two entirely different conditions, and yet hernias quite often follow when someone has suffered from ulcers. This is most likely due to the fact that ulcers eat away at the stomach lining making for weak areas. If ulcers can be treated the hernia may be avoidable. Aghast row intestinal physician can properly diagnose a condition such as ulcers or hernias and provide proper treatment. Over-the-counter anti-assets can help reduce the symptoms of an ulcer, however taking too many anti-assets can mask the problem allowing it to worsen.

Anyone suffering from acid indigestion or a burning sensation in the abdomen should get it checked to rule out a serious condition. Ulcers used to be considered a stress-related condition. Stress may add to a condition, but it is not the cause. Doctors now know that ulcers develop from a bacterial condition. However, minimizing your patients’ stress levels is a great way to help them manage stomach ulcers or related conditions.

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