Peptic ulcers are irritation of the stomach that results in symptoms including pain, burning, and nausea. Appropriate treatment is required to prevent this condition from progressing into a chronic peptic ulcer.

What is Chronic Peptic Ulcer?

The stomach contains digestive fluids, such as pepsin and gastric acid, which help in the process of food digestion. This fluid contains a high level of corrosiveness and has the potential to cause harm to the walls of the digestive tract.

There is a coating of protective mucus covering the whole digestive tract to shield the tissue within; however, in peptic ulcer disease, this mucus decreases, injuring the stomach wall. This injury is commonly referred to as a peptic ulcer.

Gastric ulcers typically manifest as an acute condition, characterized by their short duration, manageable treatment, and prompt healing. Nevertheless, if left untreated, this condition has the potential to progress into chronic peptic ulcers. Chronic peptic ulcers typically persist longer than six months.

The symptoms of peptic ulcers are:

• Severe stomachache
• Chest pain or heartburn
• Vomiting and nausea
• Bloody stool

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Causes of Chronic Peptic Ulcers

The causes of chronic peptic ulcers are identical to those of acute gastric ulcers. This condition is caused by erosion of the inside wall of the stomach due to stomach acid. According to the Cleveland Clinic, almost all cases of stomach ulcers are caused by two causes, specifically:

H. pylori infection

An H. pylori infection may not result in any symptoms or health issues in a few people. On the other hand, if this infection is not treated, it may disrupt the normal balance of the bacteria that colonize in the stomach. This infection causes an inflammatory reaction that can impair the inner stomach tissue's capacity to carry out self-repair.

Inappropriate use of analgesics

Over-the-counter pain medications, including aspirin and ibuprofen, are frequently used in excess of their allowed dosage. This might cause hormonal imbalance in the digestive tract, which may impede the process of repairing damage to the intestinal wall.

Besides the causes listed above, peptic ulcers can also be caused by the following conditions:

• Other serious infections
• Loss of blood supply
• Severe physiological stress
• Effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy
• Crohn's disease
• Gastric cancer

Other risk factors for chronic peptic ulcers include frequent smoking and alcohol consumption.  While this behavior simply cannot cause peptic ulcers, it can exacerbate the condition when accompanied with bacterial infections or excessive use of analgesics.

Read more: Is It Hazardous If Stomach Acid Is Too Low?

Management of Chronic Peptic Ulcers

Chronic peptic ulcers are typically treated with medications to relieve symptoms. Several medications that can be administered include:

• Antibiotics to fight bacterial infections
• Proton pump inhibitor drugs (PPIs) work by blocking the action of the part of the cell that produces acid
• Antacids to neutralize stomach acid
• Medicines to protect the inner wall of the stomach, such as sucralfate and misoprostol

Doctors might also suggest surgery to lower the risk of gastric perforation, which occurs when a hole presents in the digestive tract. Surgery is also an option for people who do not respond to treatment and repeatedly relapse. Examples of procedures that can be performed are:

• Vagotomy: Cutting the nerve tube that produces stomach acid
• Pyroplasty: This procedure reduces stomach acid and widens the stomach aperture by removing scar tissue

In addition to the aforementioned treatments, doctors may suggest the following healthy lifestyle modifications:

• Stop smoking
• Eat nutritious foods with balanced nutrients and reduce fatty foods.
• Manage stress well

Gastric ulcers are treatable conditions, but if not treated properly, they can progress to chronic ulcers. If you experience digestive problems, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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