Health Advice
- Weight Management
- Quit Smoking
- Acne
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- Aneurysm, abdominal aortic
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- First aid
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- Acupuncture
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- Leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic
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- Addiction
- Addison's disease
- Adenoids and adenoidectomy
- Frozen shoulder
- Agoraphobia
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- Alcohol misuse
- Alcohol poisoning
- Alexander technique
- Rhinitis, allergic
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- Mountain sickness
- Alzheimer's disease
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- Amniocentesis
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- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia
- Anaesthesia
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- Arteriography
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- Dog bites
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- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Anorexia nervosa
- Smell sense, loss of
- Antacid medicines
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- Stress
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- Wrist, broken
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- Hearing tests
- Bird flu
- B12 vitamin deficiency
- Skin rashes in babies
- Weaning
- Lumbago (low back pain)
- Septic arthritis
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Weight loss surgery
- Barium enema
- Bartholin's cyst
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- Bedbugs
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- Behçet’s disease
- Facial paralysis
- Tongue pain or soreness
- Prostate enlargement
- Beta-blockers
- Bicarbonate test
- Binge eating
- Biopsy
- Bipolar disorder
- Spider bite
- Eye, black
- Bladder cancer
- Cystitis
- Bladder stones
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- Blood donation
- Blood gases test
- Blood groups
- Coughing up blood
- Semen, bloody
- Urine, blood in the
- Vomiting blood
- Septicaemia
- Hypertension
- Low blood pressure
- Blood tests
- Blood transfusion
- Blushing
- Bromhidrosis (body odour)
- Bone cyst
- DXA scan
- Bone marrow donation
- Stem cell transplant
- Borderline personality disorder
- Bottle feeding
- Botulism
- Rectal cancer
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- Leaky gut syndrome
- Orthodontics
- Brain abscess
- Head injury, severe
- Brain tumour, benign (non-cancerous)
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- Brain tumours
- Breast abscess
- Breast cancer
- Male breast cancer
- Screening for breast cancer
- Nipple discharge
- Mastitis
- Breast lump
- Breastfeeding
- Shortness of breath
- Osteoporosis
- Fractured collarbone
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- Leg, broken
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- Smelly feet (bromodosis)
- Bronchitis
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- Thyroid eye disease
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- Burns and scalds
- Heart bypass
- Caesarean section
- Food poisoning
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- Thrush
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- Thrush, oral - adults
- Thrush, oral - babies
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cartilage damage
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- Rib, cervical
- Smear test
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- Chemotherapy
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- Chest pain
- Herpes zoster virus
- Statins
- Kidney disease, chronic
- Leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic
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- Cirrhosis
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- Herpes simplex virus
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- Combined contraceptive pill
- Pneumonia
- CT scan
- Concussion
- Hole in the heart
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- Vegetative state
- Topical corticosteroids
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- Undescended testicles
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- Thyroiditis
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- Fluoride
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- Depression
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- Rectal examination
- Double vision
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- Ebola virus disease
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- Epidural
- Epilepsy
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- Tendon repair, hand
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- Vomiting in children and babies
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- Vitamins, minerals and supplements
- Vomiting in adults
- Warfarin
- Weight loss (unexpected and unplanned)
- Whiplash
- Wisdom tooth removal
- X-ray
- Yellow fever
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Read moreNHS Choices - Introduction
(10/07/2014)
Stomach ulcers, also known as gastric ulcers, are open sores that develop on the lining of the stomach.
Ulcers can also occur in part of the intestine just beyond the stomach - these are known as duodenal ulcers.
Both stomach and duodenal ulcers are sometimes referred to as peptic ulcers. Here the term “stomach ulcer” will be used, although the following information applies equally to duodenal ulcers.
The most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is a burning or gnawing pain in the centre of the abdomen. Read more about the symptoms of a stomach ulcer.
When to seek medical advice
You should always visit your GP if you suspect you have a stomach ulcer. Seek urgent medical advice if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- vomiting blood – the blood can appear bright red or have a dark brown, grainy appearance similar to coffee grounds
- passing black tar-like stools
- a sudden, sharp pain in your stomach that gets steadily worse and does not improve
These could be a sign of a complication, such as internal bleeding.
What causes stomach ulcers?
There are two main causes of stomach ulcers:
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria, which can irritate the stomach or upper intestine lining, causing an ulcer to form
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or aspirin, which can have a similar effect
Read more about the causes of stomach ulcers.
Who is affected?
Stomach ulcers are common. In England, it is estimated about 1 in 10 people will have a stomach ulcer at some point in their life.
Stomach ulcers can affect people of any age, including children, but mostly people aged 60 or over.
Treating stomach ulcers
Medication can be used to treat stomach ulcers. A type of medication known as a proton pump inhibitor can usually reduce the amount of acid in your digestive system, allowing the ulcer to heal.
If an H. pylori infection is responsible for the ulcers, a combination of antibiotics can be used to kill the bacteria which should prevent the ulcer coming back.
If the ulcers are related to the use of NSAIDs, they are usually stopped and proton pump inhibitors used. In the case of aspirin-induced ulcers the aspirin sometimes needs to be continued, depending on why it is being given.
Your doctor will advise you on your particular case.
Read more about treating stomach ulcers.
If the underlying causes of a stomach ulcer are addressed, the ulcer usually goes away after treatment. It's important to address the underlying cause as new ulcers can sometimes form.
Complications of stomach ulcers
Complications of a stomach ulcer are uncommon, affecting around 1 in 50 people.
However, they can be serious and include:
- bleeding at the site of the ulcer
- the stomach lining at the site of the ulcer splitting open – known as perforation
- the ulcer blocking the movement of food through the digestive system – known as gastric obstruction
Some complications are regarded as medical emergencies, though are rarely life-threatening. Older people aged over 70 are most at risk of experiencing a fatal complication of a stomach ulcer.
Read more about the complications of stomach ulcers.