Peptic Ulcer Disease: Symptoms

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Symptoms

The symptoms of a peptic ulcer vary and, by themselves, are not a reliable way to tell whether you have an ulcer. Also, some people may not have symptoms.

The symptoms of an ulcer often can be confused with other abdominal conditions, such as dyspepsia or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Common ulcer symptoms include:

• A burning, aching pain—or a pain that feels like hunger—between the navel and the breastbone. The pain sometimes extends to the back.
• Belly pain that can last from a few minutes to a few hours and usually goes away for a while after taking an antacid or acid reducer.
• Weeks of pain that comes and goes and may alternate with pain-free periods.
• Loss of appetite and weight loss.
• Bloating or nausea after eating.

Less common but more serious symptoms of ulcers include:

• Vomiting after meals.
• Vomiting blood and/or material that looks like coffee grounds.
• Black stools that look like tar, or stools that contain dark red blood.

Symptoms of ulcers in the upper small intestine (duodenal ulcers) and in the stomach (gastric ulcers) are similar, except for when pain occurs.

• Pain from a duodenal ulcer may occur several hours after eating (when the stomach is empty) and may improve after eating. Pain also may wake you frequently in the middle of the night.
• Pain from a gastric ulcer may occur shortly after eating (when food is still in the stomach).

Some ulcers do not cause symptoms. These are known as silent ulcers. Silent ulcers are more common in older adults, people who have diabetes, or people who use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Aleve).

Complications of an ulcer include bleeding, perforation, penetration, or obstruction of the digestive tract. Complications can happen in both silent ulcers and ulcers that cause symptoms.

In children, symptoms vary with age:

• Toddlers and young children may complain of general stomach pain.
• Teenagers may have symptoms more like those experienced by adults.

Last updated:	January 07, 2008
Author:	Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Andrew H. Soll, MD - Gastroenterology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC