Duodenal ulcer
Causes and symptoms of duodenal ulcer
What is a duodenal ulcer?
A duodenal ulcer is a deep inflammation of the mucous membrane or epithelium of the skin. Most often, the inflammatory defect is chronic in nature and arises from a previous infection, mechanical injury, chemical or radiation exposure. Disruption of blood supply to tissues or nerve fibers can also cause ulcers. With an ulcer, tissue is lost, and healing occurs with the formation of a scar.
People with hypersensitivity become ill due to exposure of the mucous membrane of the initial part of the small intestine to pepsin (an enzyme produced by the cells of the stomach lining) and stomach acid.
Peptic ulcer disease occurs with relapses: periods of exacerbation and remission alternate.
Peptic ulcer disease affects mainly men. On average in the world, duodenal ulcer occurs in 10% of the population. Ulcers occur more often in the duodenum than in the stomach. When an inflammatory defect simultaneously affects the stomach and duodenum, one speaks of combined ulcers.
There are several types of duodenal ulcers. Acute inflammatory defects of the duodenum include ulcers with bleeding, bleeding and perforation (breakthrough beyond the stomach or intestine), or without bleeding and perforation. Chronic ulcers may be unspecified with bleeding, unspecified with ulcer breakthrough outside the stomach or intestine, unspecified with bleeding and breakthrough, or without perforation and bleeding.
Duodenal Ulcer Causes
The causes of duodenal ulcers are not fully understood. An important factor influencing the development of the disease is stress and nervous overstrain, hormonal factors, disorders of the adrenal system, disorders in the production of sex and digestive hormones. Hereditary factors also affect the development of peptic ulcer disease: if one of the parents had an ulcer, the child's predisposition to get sick increases from 20 to 40% of cases. Often, the disease develops under the influence of the harmful bacteria Helicobacter Pylori.
When the natural resistance of the gastric mucosa decreases to the action of gastric juice, a stomach ulcer develops. Duodenal ulcer occurs due to increased aggressiveness of pepsin and acid. Before the development of the disease, pathological structural changes always occur in the tissue metabolism of the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum.
Taking certain medications (especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can also cause ulceration.
Relapses of peptic ulcer disease often occur due to bleeding and violation of the doctor's instructions by patients. Improper nutrition is an unfavorable factor. Smoking and alcohol abuse are also detrimental to human health.
Duodenal Ulcer Symptoms
The main clinical symptoms of duodenal ulcer are severe, piercing, or aching pains in the upper abdomen (under the sternum). Pain most often occurs before or after eating (hungry pain). Sometimes, a couple of hours after eating, patients feel hungry. Nausea, sometimes bloody vomiting, and more often bloating, flatulence, and belching are also characteristic symptoms. Another common occurrence in duodenal ulcer disease is night pain. After dinner, acid secretion increases and reaches its maximum amount by two in the morning. As a result, severe pain can wake people up at night. Also, the pain often increases with physical exertion, drinking alcohol or spicy food.
Vomiting with peptic ulcer disease appears only if untreated. You can find blood impurities in it. Also, blood may be present in the patient's feces. These symptoms are a signal of internal bleeding, which can be fatal.
In older people, an inflammatory defect of the duodenum often goes away without severe symptoms.
It is possible to diagnose a duodenal ulcer thanks to endoscopy: this method gives the doctor complete information about the patient's condition. They also use an X-ray examination, an analysis of feces, blood, and a biopsy.
Duodenal ulcer treatment
With internal bleeding and perforated duodenal ulcers, treatment is performed surgically. With the help of medicines, they destroy the harmful bacteria Helicobacter Pylori and restore the mucous membrane of the duodenum. An important step is to prevent the development of complications and relapses and to regularly examine patients.
Prevention of this disease is proper nutrition, adherence to a healthy lifestyle, correct and timely treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also important to try to avoid stressful situations and nervous overstrain.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
