10 Symptoms of Peptic Ulcer Complications

Peptic ulcers can cause some discomfort, but they are rarely life-threatening. If, however, you display any of several warning signs, seek medical attention immediately. These symptoms could mean complications such as perforation, bleeding, and obstructions have occurred. They may require surgical intervention.

Three of the serious complications of a peptic ulcer are a perforation, bleeding, and a blockage.

Perforation is a hole in the wall of your stomach or small intestinal. A perforated ulcer is a very serious condition where an untreated ulcer can burn through the wall of the stomach (or other areas of the gastrointestinal tract), allowing digestive juices and food to seep into the abdominal cavity.

Bleeding occurs if there is a broken blood vessel in the stomach or small intestine. An ulcer has eaten its way into a blood vessel. This will cause red or black blood in vomit or in your stool.

A blockage occurs when food is prevented from moving from your stomach into your duodenum. Ulcers located at the end of the stomach, where the duodenum (start of the small intestine) is attached, can cause swelling and scarring, which can narrow or close the intestinal opening. Food is then prevented from leaving the stomach, resulting in vomiting the contents of the stomach.

Ulcers form when the protective lining of the stomach or duodenum (known as the mucosa and submucosa) becomes eroded. Small ulcers may not cause any symptoms, but large ulcers can cause serious bleeding. Most ulcers occur in the first layer of the inner lining. If the ulcer erodes beyond that, a hole can open that goes all the way through the intestine, called a perforation of the intestinal lining. A perforation is a medical emergency.

Despite the popular belief that peptic ulcers are caused by spicy foods or stress, the reality is that most of the time, peptic ulcers are caused by infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H pylori). Most ulcers can be treated with medications, including antibiotics. But surgery may be needed in some cases.

About 20 million Americans develop at least one ulcer during their lifetime. Ulcers can develop at any age but are rare among teenagers and even rarer in children. Duodenal ulcers usually occur for the first time between the ages of 30 and 50. Stomach ulcers are more likely to develop in people older than 60. While duodenal ulcers occur more frequently in men than women, stomach ulcers develop more frequently in women than men.