10 initial signs of a stomach ulcer

Diarrhea with a stomach ulcer is one of the symptomatic signs. At the same time, diarrhea is not the main symptom on the basis of which a similar diagnosis can be made to the patient. According to doctors, stool disorder appears as a result of irritation of the digestive system. At the same time, such an indicator as the pH of the environment inside the intestines is disrupted. Often the patient complains of a frequent urge to defecate, appearing literally after every meal. It is difficult to confuse such a symptom with the onset of an infectious lesion of the body.

Gastroenterologist Mikhail Vasilievich:

“It is known that for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, gastritis, etc.) there are special drugs that are prescribed by doctors. But we will not talk about them, but about those medicines that you can use yourself and at home...” Read more >>>

What causes this?

A minor disturbance in the functioning of the intestines usually does not cause serious consequences, and therefore does not pose any danger to the body. The digestive system is capable of reacting in a similar way to severe fatigue or psychological stress, an unusual meal, or a sudden change in meteorological conditions. However, you should start to worry when other symptoms of diseases are added to such disorders.

Among them, the most characteristic is an increase in temperature. When fever accompanies diarrhea, this is the beginning of an infectious infection of the digestive system. This condition is less dangerous for adults, but very alarming in childhood. You should not rely on the advice of grandmothers and self-medicate; you must immediately visit the clinic so that a specialist can determine the cause of the disorder and prescribe adequate treatment.

Bloody diarrhea with pus

If diarrhea occurs due to a stomach ulcer, and in its advanced or acute stage, the situation becomes completely different. Bloody diarrhea is often considered a manifestation of hemorrhoids. However, this is not always true. In acute peptic ulcer disease, diarrhea is also accompanied by anal bleeding, and the stool acquires a mushy consistency. Gradually, the stool becomes more and more liquefied, mucus is noticeable in it, and the feces have a very unpleasant aroma. In severely advanced situations, diarrhea is accompanied by the simultaneous release of not only blood, but also pus.

What to do if you have diarrhea?

The most important thing to do in case of diarrhea is to absolutely not allow the development of dehydration. Drinking plenty of fluids allows you to compensate for the lack of fluid, salt, and many minerals that occurs due to pathology.

You can purchase a solution called Regidron at the pharmacy. However, it is not difficult to prepare it yourself. The recipe is as follows:

warm water (boiled) – 1 l;
salt – 1 tsp;
sugar – 1 tsp.

Chamomile tea helps cope well with the problem. Be sure to start preventing dehydration as soon as diarrhea begins. This also needs to be done when diarrhea is constant, profuse, and even accompanied by a nauseating state that ends with vomiting, and for several days. You should definitely monitor the appearance of blood streaks in your stool. A similar phenomenon is typical for patients who have not only a stomach ulcer, but also Crohn's disease or dysentery.

Treatment

Therapy for the described condition directly depends only on the diagnosis made by the gastroenterologist. Although there are general rules that apply to any patient facing a similar problem. First of all, they relate to dietary nutrition, treatment by taking certain enzymes and adsorbent substances.

When a person has loose stools, he should forget about raw vegetables or fruits for a while. It is also unacceptable to consume spicy and fatty foods, sweets, especially pastries and cakes. During the period of development of diarrhea, a person is obliged to temporarily consume only the following dishes:

crackers or dried bread;
vegetable purees;
boiled slimy porridge;
fresh chicken meat, thoroughly ground;
tea and jelly;
rosehip decoction, infusion of chamomile or bird cherry fruit.

Causes of the disease

Before focusing on the symptoms of a stomach ulcer, you need to know the reasons for its development. After all, it does not arise overnight and out of nowhere. So what causes an ulcer?

In non-ulcer dyspepsia, which in most cases occurs as a reaction to stress, the formation of erosions and ulcers is caused by impaired gastric secretion and gastric motility, and not by inflammatory processes. This is the fundamental difference between this pathology and gastritis.

In addition, the manifestation of this type of ulcer can be triggered by improper exit from a strict diet regimen.

Clinical picture

Symptoms of a stomach ulcer can vary depending on the location of the process in the organ. The first signs of an ulcer are nonspecific and may resemble simple abdominal pain, which has previously occurred with banal overeating, eating disorders, or poisoning. But you need to differentiate how it hurts and where it hurts with a stomach ulcer.

Pain is the main symptom of gastric ulcer. The sensations can be quite long-lasting and of varying degrees of severity. The nature of pain with a stomach ulcer varies - from minor aching to unbearable cutting. They are brighter at night. In chronic cases, they are most noticeable in autumn and spring.

What kind of pain occurs with a stomach ulcer and where it will radiate depends on the location of the ulcer itself. Usually the localization of discomfort is the area from the navel to the epigastric region. Sometimes it can radiate to the sides, in the lower back (can often be confused with renal colic), in the retrosternal region.

In addition to pain, the following symptoms of a stomach ulcer are also noted:

Heartburn that occurs after eating. Sour-bitter belching is also characteristic; attacks of nausea accompanied by vomiting. As a rule, they accompany severe pain with a stomach ulcer. Vomit may be mixed with blood, lumps of undigested food, and resemble coffee grounds. Vomiting relieves the patient's condition;
loss of appetite or even complete refusal of food. Such signs of a stomach ulcer are caused by impaired motility of the organ or a psychological factor - the patient is afraid to eat, as pain occurs after this;
constipation or diarrhea - depending on the location of the defect in the mucosa. If the upper parts of the stomach are affected, then constipation often occurs (no bowel movements for more than 2 days), but if the lower parts are affected, diarrhea with modified blood occurs. The color of stool varies from brown to black and resembles tar;
heaviness in the stomach after eating, even when eating a small amount of food; flatulence and noticeable bloating, rumbling in the stomach.

Signs of a stomach ulcer in the early stages are similar to the manifestations of gastritis - pain and discomfort in the epigastrium, intensifying after eating, sour belching, heartburn, nausea. Seeking help from a specialist is the best decision in this condition.

It should be noted that with an ulcer, the symptoms characteristic of the stomach are somewhat different from the symptoms of an intestinal ulcer.

Stool with a stomach ulcer will not contain bright streaks of blood, since it has been exposed to gastric juice and has changed its color to brown or even black. With intestinal ulceration, the inclusions will be red, with the same color of blood.

Diarrhea from a stomach ulcer is usually black in color, indicating bleeding. The blood oxidizes and acquires this color. However, this phenomenon cannot always be associated specifically with ulcerative processes.

Sometimes the appearance of this diarrhea is associated with eating certain foods containing large amounts of iron. This:

Prunes;
a large number of apples;
Red beetroot;
bananas;
red wine and others.

Also, the use of certain medications (in particular, iron supplements, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, activated carbon or vitamin complexes) causes such a side effect.

Black or dark brown diarrhea is also characteristic of other diseases that cause internal bleeding:

Cirrhosis of the liver;
hepatitis;
anemia;
oncological pathologies of the digestive organs and others.

Such bloody diarrhea is usually preceded by the appearance of other symptoms:

Deterioration in general health;
decreased blood pressure;
weakness and dizziness;
nausea and vomiting;
abdominal pain accompanied by increased flatulence.

If such a serious symptom appears, you must immediately seek help from a specialist, since the loss of blood in this case can be quite significant. Delay in treatment at best causes severe anemia, at worst it can be fatal.

Diarrhea with a stomach ulcer occurs often. This is due to the fact that against the background of the disease, irritation of the digestive system occurs. But, based on the periodic manifestation of such a symptom, a diagnosis cannot be made. To confirm the disease, it is necessary to conduct additional examinations and take tests.

Black feces in a child

The following components influence the shade of a child’s stool:

bile pigments;
nutrition;
rate of passage of food through the intestines.

The stool should be brown. In this case, intestinal diseases provoke a violation of the color of the discharge. In children, this disorder is very rare and does not always indicate the development of an ulcer.

Diet is usually the cause of stool discoloration. A large amount of bananas, beets, and prunes leads to darkening of the stool. In newborn babies, the stool is very dark in color and is called meconium. In such a situation, there is no need to worry, since this is considered normal.

Stool staining can be caused by iron, which is present in many milk formulas. If other signs are absent and the baby feels normal, there is no need to worry.

If the baby cries, his temperature rises, or other signs appear, you should call a doctor. This will help prevent intoxication of the body or bleeding.

Causes

With a stomach ulcer, diarrhea is most often associated with an imbalance in the acid balance of the stomach. A characteristic feature of this disease is that diarrhea can be followed by constipation.

Diarrhea due to a stomach ulcer often occurs against the background of a gastric disorder, when the digestion process is disrupted. When pain occurs in the stomach area, it is accompanied by other alarming symptoms:

When the disease is in an advanced state, diarrhea with an unpleasant odor occurs. In severe cases, diarrhea may occur after every meal.

Advice! It is impossible to self-medicate diarrhea with peptic ulcer disease, as this can aggravate the course of the disease.

Preventive measures

Prevention of peptic ulcer disease is the best way to avoid it. If you want to take care in advance of the absence of pain after eating, to exclude other unpleasant symptoms and consequences (diarrhea, fever, bleeding, organ deformation), start immediately with proper nutrition and lifestyle.

Prevention will be effective if you:

quit smoking;
exclude alcohol consumption;
you will eat small and little meals (5-6 times a day);
exclude broths, spices, preserves;
include bran in the menu;
You will prepare steamed or boiled dishes.
give preference to lean fish or meat;

replace tea and coffee with dairy products;

An exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease can occur at any time, especially in spring and autumn. During these periods, you need to be especially demanding of yourself, because the body is very vulnerable to different types of food. And a healed ulcer easily reacts to sour, fried, hot or cold foods.

Features of seasonal states are as follows:

Exacerbations in the spring are associated with a lack of vitamins and ultraviolet rays after winter. The immune system suffers, the body lacks strength, and a person gets tired quickly. A weak body cannot cope with any stress - be it physical, emotional or associated with poor diet.
And in the fall, the reasons for exacerbation of ulcers are different. After the summer holidays, people begin to work, immersing themselves in it headlong. Work schedule, plans, snacks on the go, problems - all this provokes a stressful situation, the body immediately reacts to it. Weaknesses immediately begin to show themselves.

Types of diarrhea with stomach ulcers

With a peptic ulcer, the digestion process is disrupted. Therefore, bowel dysfunction is always associated with dyspeptic disorders. The most common forms of diarrhea are hyperkinetic and hypokinetic. Such manifestations are associated with impaired secretory function and motility of the intestinal tract.

Typically, diarrhea due to a peptic ulcer is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen. At the same time, the stool is not abundant and mushy. If it does not occur often, then it is not of a threatening nature. An exacerbation of the disease is indicated by more frequent attacks of diarrhea. As a rule, in this case, the diarrhea becomes more liquid and mucus appears in it.

Black, bloody stool is a dangerous symptom and indicates possible bleeding. If it is additionally accompanied by increased stench, then this indicates a chronic form of the disease. It should be remembered that other factors can also lead to black stool. This:

Eating foods high in iron. For example, prunes, beets or bananas.
Taking iron-containing medications, activated carbon or special vitamin complexes.

That is why it is very important to analyze what factors could provoke black diarrhea. Usually, if the cause is bleeding, this is accompanied by weakness and dizziness.

With a peptic ulcer, bloody diarrhea with pus very often also occurs. This is a very dangerous symptom that indicates the advanced stage of the disease. As a rule, the patient in this case feels very bad and needs urgent medical attention.

If gastric bleeding occurs, which is indicated by stool containing blood and mucus, the person’s blood pressure drops sharply. Fainting occurs very often.

Advice! If bloody stools with pus occur against the background of a stomach ulcer, you should definitely consult a doctor, even if there are no other symptoms.

Possible complications

With a complex course of the ulcer, the patient’s body temperature may increase. An elevated temperature is always evidence of an infection in the abdominal cavity. This means that you need to consult a doctor.

Usually the body temperature rises if the ulcer is accompanied by bleeding.

Besides:

the patient feels weak;
his blood pressure decreases;
tachycardia is noted;
temperature rises to 38ºС;
There may be no pain with such symptoms.

Its insidiousness lies in the hidden form of bleeding. The causes of its appearance are associated with damage to the vessel located in the area of inflammation. He starts bleeding. The volume of blood released depends on the size of the vessel. If it is small, then bleeding can only be detected using a certain technique (Gregersen reaction). It happens that bleeding is the first symptom of an ulcer.

Serious bleeding has clinical manifestations:

complaints that the stomach hurts;
the temperature rises;
the stool is tar-colored (black) and has a runny consistency.

Diarrhea with this color is a clear sign that it is a duodenal ulcer (duodenal ulcer).

Treatment

Treatment of diarrhea should be carried out strictly in accordance with medical recommendations. You should consult a doctor when diarrhea begins to appear more and more often. After diagnosis, appropriate treatment will be prescribed. If there is no exacerbation of the disease, then diarrhea can be cured in the usual ways.

Bloody diarrhea is much more dangerous. Its treatment will require an individual approach. But, in any case, the first priority is to prevent dehydration.

To do this, you must take rehydron. In addition, drugs that restore the mucous membrane are prescribed. If bleeding is confirmed, surgery is performed.

Medications that are prescribed for diarrhea after examination on an individual basis can be divided into the following groups:

Antibacterial agents. They are prescribed if diarrhea occurs due to a peptic ulcer, which is accompanied by gastritis caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
Medicines that reduce the production of hydrochloric acid with increased secretion. The most commonly used is Omeprazole.
Medicines that help improve digestion. These include Mezim and Festal.
Antacids, such as Phosphalugel, Almagel, etc.

Antispasmodics that relieve pain.
Antidiarrheals to prevent dehydration, such as Loperamide or Filtrum.

There are many folk remedies for the treatment of diarrhea, but in case of peptic ulcer they should be treated with caution. In order not to worsen the condition, the traditional recipes used must be agreed with the doctor.

Once diarrhea starts, drinking chamomile tea can help prevent dehydration. For a glass of hot water, take a tablespoon of dry chamomile. To recover faster, you need to take an infusion of chamomile, St. John's wort and plantain, half a glass for several days, a quarter of an hour before meals.

Potentilla decoction is considered very effective. A tablespoon of root is simmered over low heat for a quarter of an hour in half a liter of water. After it has cooled naturally, it is recommended to consume it 3 times a day before meals, a third of a glass.

If diarrhea occurs due to a stomach ulcer, then only the right diet will allow you to recover in the shortest possible time. It is necessary to include steamed, boiled or baked dishes in your diet. Useful ones are:

Hot and spicy dishes should be excluded from food products. Also follows:

Avoid nuts, raw fruits and vegetables.
Limit consumption of dairy products.
To season second courses, use only small quantities of vegetable oil.

Drug therapy

Treatment of diarrhea should be carried out comprehensively, taking into account the cause of the pathological process. Drugs that eliminate diarrhea due to ulcers are divided into several groups:

Antibiotics and antiprotozoal medications (Metronidazole). They are prescribed for ulcers accompanied by gastritis caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
Proton pump inhibitors , which reduce acid production when its secretion is increased. The most commonly used is Omeprazole.
Multienzyme preparations that improve digestion, including enzymes (Festal, Mezim).
Antispasmodics that relieve pain and muscle spasms (No-shpa, Besalol).
Gastroprotectors , protecting the mucous membrane from irritation and inhibiting the activity of bacteria that cause ulcers (Venter, Sucralfate).
Antidiarrheal medications that reduce intestinal motility, prevent frequent bowel movements and prevent the development of dehydration (Loperamide, Imodium).
Enterosorbents that help overcome general intoxication (Enterosgel, Polyphepan, Polysorb).
Bifidobacteria and lactose-based preparations that prevent the proliferation of pathogens and restore the intestinal flora (Bifidumbacterin, Optilact, Acylact).
Saline solutions that help maintain water-salt balance and prevent dehydration of the body (Regidron). You can make the drink yourself by adding a teaspoon of salt to a glass of boiled water. In case of severe diarrhea, aggravated by dyspepsia, it is not advisable to use this remedy, as it can cause an attack of nausea and vomiting. It is better to replace it with a decoction of chamomile.

Painful sensations caused by ulcers or gastritis are relieved with the help of antacids - enveloping drugs. They neutralize the acid produced by the stomach (Phosphalugel, Gaviscon, Maalox, Almagel A).

Important! Self-prescribing medications for ulcers is strictly prohibited. Even activated carbon, which is harmless and safe, can lead to a worsening of the condition in this pathology.

Prevention

In order to avoid diarrhea with a stomach ulcer, doctors recommend strictly following the doctor’s recommendations when treating this complex disease. As a rule, diarrhea occurs during exacerbation of the disease.

In addition, you should strictly adhere to hygiene rules. It is necessary to thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits that are eaten raw. It is important to avoid eating spoiled foods. To do this, you must always pay attention to the expiration date.

Diarrhea with a peptic ulcer is not always a dangerous symptom. If you take action at the very beginning of stomach upset, you can quickly stabilize the condition. But if bloody stools mixed with pus appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

What are the forecasts?

For gastric ulcers, the prognosis depends on the age of the patient, the course of the disease, the location of the ulcer, the presence of complications and concomitant diseases. For example, if the ulcer often bleeds, the patient develops tarry stools and pain, then the prognosis is not very encouraging.

If the disease was diagnosed at an early stage, there is a high probability of complete recovery. Giant ulcers are usually difficult to treat, and in 50% of cases they are malignant, so the mortality rate among patients is high.