STOMACH ULCERS

Peptic ulcers occur in the stomach, oesophagus and duodenum. The oesophagus is the gullet, the muscular tube through which food passes by muscular action after swallowing, the tube between the mouth and the stomach. The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine. Here just beyond the acid stomach, the part of the intestines becomes alkaline. Alkaline bile and digestive juice of the pancreas flow into the duodenum. Peptic ulcers may be small and acute, forming in a few days and healing in 1 or 2 weeks. Blood vessels may become involved with these acute ulcers and cause bleeding. Even with chronic ulcers that tend to last for a few weeks or months there is a tendency for natural healing to take place. Sometimes a speeding up of this healing occurs through treatment. It is less common for women to suffer peptic ulcers than men and in a woman's reproductive years they seldom occur at all. The medical term for these ulcers is the duodenal ulcer as most ulcers occur in the first part of the duodenum.

Carrying out a proper investigation is absolutely necessary with gastric ulcers just in case the ulcer is cancerous and malignant. This statement is not here to alarm, but because of the possibility of a cancerous ulcer it has to have a mention. In reality, gastric ulcers are seldom cancerous but as stated, there is a small possibility. Duodenal ulcers on the other hand are never ever cancerous or malignant. A stressful lifestyle is the main cause of peptic ulcers therefore there are more sufferers in highly populated areas than in the quieter more peaceful ones...(more)

Facts About Ulcers...(more)