Do duodenal ulcers heal on their own?

  Most duodenal ulcers do not heal on their own and require medication, but some patients have mild symptoms and have the possibility of healing on their own.  Duodenal ulcers are mostly due to high stomach acid and H. pylori infection. If the patient has mild symptoms and no other discomfort, it is usually possible to heal on its own after adjusting lifestyle habits. However, if the ulcer has infiltrated into the mucosal layer and submucosal layer, it may cause serious consequences such as bleeding and pyloric obstruction, which need to be treated with medication and usually cannot be cured by itself. Therefore, it is recommended that patients undergo timely medication under the guidance of a gastroenterologist, and in severe cases, surgical treatment such as ulcer removal and repair is required.  In addition, patients are advised to have regular gastroscopy reviews at the hospital and to pay attention to a regular diet, avoiding tobacco, alcohol, overeating and spicy, stimulating, dry and hard foods.