Gastroduodenal ulcers are common
Peptic ulcers include gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers, which are called “peptic” ulcers mainly because their ulcer formation is related to the digestive action of gastric acid/pepsin.
Ulcers and erosions differ in the extent of their lesions. An erosion is a limited mucosal defect that does not penetrate the mucosal muscle and does not leave any trace after healing, whereas an ulcer is a mucosal defect that penetrates the entire mucosal layer and often penetrates into or even through other layers, leaving a scar after healing.
Stomach acid and H. pylori are two important factors in the development of ulcers, and severe ulcers can even penetrate the entire stomach wall.
Peptic ulcer, as a common disease, has a very high incidence. According to early statistics, about 10-12% of people will suffer from peptic ulcers in their lifetime, and the incidence of the population is even very wide. In recent years, with the accelerated pace of society and the increased pressure of life, the incidence of peptic ulcer is still very high from the number of hospital visits.
Gastroduodenal ulcers suffer from abdominal pain, heartburn, hiccups …… Some patients have recurrent ulcers due to improper treatment, and in severe cases, even complications such as bleeding, perforation, pyloric obstruction and ulcer carcinoma, which seriously threaten the physical and mental health of patients.
Pain characteristics of peptic ulcers
The pain of duodenal ulcer is mostly found in the middle and upper abdomen, or above the umbilicus, or to the right above the umbilicus; the location of the pain of gastric ulcer is also mostly in the middle and upper abdomen, but slightly higher, or to the left of the subxiphoid and subxiphoid. Because the localization of pain in the cavernous viscera is generally not very precise on the body surface, the location of pain does not always accurately reflect the anatomical location of the ulcer.
The nature of the pain is mostly dull, burning, or hunger-like, and is generally mild and tolerable; persistent severe pain suggests ulcer penetration or perforation. Pain is often triggered or aggravated by mental stimulation, excessive fatigue, careless diet, drugs, climate change and other factors; it can be reduced or relieved by rest, eating, taking acid control drugs, pressing the painful area with hands, vomiting and other methods.
Peptic ulcer attacks are characterized by long-term, periodic and rhythmical nature
Long-term: Since ulcers can heal on their own after occurrence, but every time after healing, they are good to recur, so there is often a long-term recurrence of epigastric pain. The whole course of the disease is 6-7 years on average, and some can be as long as one or two decades, or even longer.
Periodicity: Recurrent periodic epigastric pain episodes are one of the characteristics of such ulcers, especially duodenal ulcers are more prominent. Episodes of pain in the upper and middle abdomen may last for a few days, weeks or longer, followed by longer periods of remission. Episodes can occur throughout the year, but are more common in the spring and fall.
Rhythmicity: The relationship between ulcer pain and diet has a clear correlation and rhythmicity. During the day, the period from 3:00 am to breakfast has the lowest secretion of gastric acid, so pain rarely occurs during this time.
The pain of duodenal ulcer occurs between two meals and continues unabated until the next meal is eaten or relieved by medication. Therefore, it has the characteristic of pain when you are hungry and gets better when you eat something.
In contrast, the pain of gastric ulcer is more irregular, often occurring within one hour after a meal and gradually relieved after one to two hours, until the above rhythm reappears after the next meal.
Treatment and prevention
At present, the effect of gastroduodenal ulcer drug treatment is still quite good, and most people can basically work with triple or quadruple therapy. However, gastroduodenal ulcer is prone to recurrence is one of its major features, recurrence and irregular treatment, diet and lifestyle habits also have a lot to do with, therefore, people suffering from gastric ulcer should pay attention to the following points in their lives.
1, compliance with medical advice, treatment of H. pylori: the treatment of peptic ulcer drugs can be divided into two categories of drugs to inhibit the secretion of gastric acid and drugs to protect the gastric mucosa, often used in conjunction with the eradication of H. pylori treatment. It is necessary to follow medical advice, do not stop the drug when the symptoms get better, irregular use of drugs can easily lead to drug resistance or recurrence of H. pylori, but also easily lead to ulcer recurrence, effective eradication of H. pylori can greatly reduce ulcer recurrence. Remember to recheck H. pylori after 2 weeks of treatment discontinuation, someone at home infected with H. pylori is best to share meals or treatment together to avoid cross-infection.
2, quit alcohol smoke: smoking will cause the gastric mucosa vasoconstriction, spasm, gastric mucosa ischemia, is not conducive to ulcer healing. The high concentration of liquor will directly destroy the gastric mucosal barrier, resulting in gastric mucosal damage, with gastroduodenal ulcer more can not drink.
3, pay attention to rest: do not overwork, avoid tension, mental stress will change the blood supply of the gastrointestinal tract, which is not conducive to the healing of gastroduodenal ulcer, pay attention to adjust. This is because many people will be suddenly or mental stress induced by work pressure originally “sleeping” gastroduodenal ulcers.
4, diet: eat regularly and quantitatively, do not starve a meal, a full meal, and do not overeat. Eat more vegetables and fruits, rice and noodles, and less fish and meat, because this will lead to excessive secretion of gastric acid, which is not conducive to ulcer healing, and may aggravate the symptoms of stomach pain. Avoid coffee, strong tea, chili and other irritating foods.
5, if you are taking antithrombotic drugs or painkillers should be replaced as appropriate: aspirin as a representative of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and anti-inflammatory pain relief is widely used, but these drugs have a more obvious side effect is easy to cause damage to the gastric mucosa. If you have a gastroduodenal ulcer, it is best to seek medical advice on whether to continue using them and replace or discontinue such drugs as appropriate.