A stomach ulcer, as well as gastritis, are some of the most common diseases of the digestive system. Every year they are detected in millions of people. In many cases, these diseases can be suspected by the first symptoms of a stomach ulcer and gastritis. The main one is pain. It can be localized in various areas of the abdominal cavity and even the chest wall. It is for this reason that these diseases have to be differentiated from the pathology of other organs and systems.
Symptoms of a stomach ulcer and gastritis in the early stages are nonspecific. As noted earlier, the most important of them is the pain of a particular severity or localization. In the case of gastritis, it is most often dull, aching, and its occurrence is most often associated with a violation in the diet. The appearance of such pain is especially characteristic if the person has not eaten for a long time, and then ate something sharp enough. Gastritis is a chronic disease. With an exacerbation of the pathological process in the patient, in addition to pain, nausea and vomiting are often detected.
Symptoms of a stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer are more pronounced. This disease is also chronic with a characteristic phase sequence. In case of exacerbation, the patient often experiences severe pain. In most patients, its main focus is in the epigastric region (if we divide the abdominal cavity into 3 equal levels, then the epigastrium is the highest of them). The nature of the pain can be quite different. Often it is associated with eating. An experienced doctor is able to determine the localization of the pathological process by the nature of the pain. In the event that they occur immediately after eating, then, most likely, the ulcer is located in the cardiac part of the stomach or in its body. If the pain appears only a couple of hours after the meal, then this indicates an ulcer of the pyloric stomach. The appearance of pain after 4 hours testifies in favor of a duodenal ulcer. There are also “hungry” or “nocturnal” pains that occur 7 (or even more) hours after eating.
Symptoms of a stomach ulcer and gastritis can vary significantly. This is especially evident in the event that one or another complication of an ulcer occurs. Most often we are talking about bleeding. At the same time, the patient has melena (black feces ) and vomiting of "coffee grounds". Both symptoms are associated with the chemical interaction of blood and hydrochloric acid. Another dangerous complication of an ulcer is its perforation. In this case, all other symptoms of a stomach ulcer and gastritis will seem completely insignificant, because the patient experiences extreme pain during perforation, and he may develop peritonitis.
In the event that a person has pain in the abdominal cavity or other symptoms of a stomach ulcer and gastritis indicated above, then he must definitely consult a specialist. Only a doctor can prescribe exactly those tests that can clarify the alleged diagnosis. If the disease is detected, then he will prescribe the correct, full-fledged treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers, as well as gastritis. With strict adherence to the recommendations, the patient will be able to practically forget about pain and other unpleasant symptoms.