Asymptomatic gastric ulcers are most common in the elderly, mainly related to the higher pain threshold of the elderly, but also in the maintenance treatment of recurrent ulcers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) related ulcers.
1. Painless ulcers in the elderly: when some elderly people suffer from ulcer disease, their symptoms are often atypical or asymptomatic, which is related to the high pain threshold of the elderly in youth and middle age, and the lack of sensitivity to pain, and may also be related to the slowing down of sensation of the gastric nerve endings in the elderly.
2. Recurrent ulcers in maintenance therapy: after symptomatic gastric ulcers are cured with anti-ulcer drugs (e.g., metformin, etc.), some patients have recurrence without obvious symptoms.
3. NSAIDs-related ulcers: in long-term oral NSAIDs patients, about 40% of patients with endoscopic peptic ulcers, but due to the analgesic effect of NSAIDs, so about 50% to 85% of patients can be no obvious clinical symptoms.
Asymptomatic gastric ulcers are often discovered by chance when other diseases are examined, or bleeding, perforation and other complications occur as the first symptom, which once examined and diagnosed, should also be actively under the guidance of the physician to comply with the doctor’s instructions for relevant treatment, so as to avoid delays in the condition.