What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of gastric ulcers include indigestion and heartburn in the middle of the upper

abdomen, nausea and loss of appetite, weight loss and repeated episodes of gastrointestinal

bleeding. About 30% of patients with gastric ulcers are awakened by pain at night. Many

patients have periods of chronic ulcer pain alternating with symptom-free periods that last

for several weeks or months. The pain may be relieved by eating or taking antacids, and may

get worse a couple of hours after meals or before meals.

If the gastric ulcer is bleeding, the patient may vomit bright red blood or digested blood

that looks like brown coffee grounds and have black, tarry bowel movements.
How is it diagnosed?

To diagnose a gastric ulcer, the doctor may first examine the patient and look at the medical

history. The doctor may suspect gastric ulcers based on risk factors such as male sex, age

over 45, location of pain, anemia, history of using NSAIDs, history of heavy smoking and

alcohol use, and family history of ulcers or stomach cancer.

The doctor may perform an endoscopy and imaging studies to determine if the patient has a

gastric ulcer. An endoscopy is considered the best procedure for diagnosing gastric ulcers

and for taking samples of stomach tissue for biopsies. An endoscope is a slender tube-shaped

instrument that allows the doctor to view the tissues lining the stomach and duodenum.

The doctor may also test for H. pylori because almost all ulcer patients who are not taking

NSAIDs are infected. Noninvasive tests include blood tests for immune response and a breath

test. The doctor may also take a blood test to see if the patient is anemic due to a bleeding

ulcer.