The most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is a burning pain that develops in the upper abdomen or the centre of your abdomen. However, the pain can also travel up to your neck and down to your navel (belly-button).
The pain that is associated with a stomach ulcer is caused by:
- the ulcer itself
- stomach acid that comes into contact with the ulcer and irritates it
The pain can last from a few minutes to a few hours.
If you have an ulcer in your stomach, you may find that the pain starts soon after eating a meal. If the ulcer is in your small intestine (duodenal ulcer), the pain may start two to three hours after eating so it may wake you up during the night.
Eating more food and taking antacids (indigestion medication) can often help relieve the pain of a duodenal ulcer, but not usually the pain of a stomach ulcer.
Less common symptoms of a stomach ulcer include:
Some people also find that they can no longer tolerate eating fatty foods.
Stomach ulcers often do not cause typical symptoms and occasionally they do not cause any pain at all. Which means it is possible to get a complication such as bleeding without feeling pain beforehand.
When to seek medical advice
You should always visit your GP if you suspect that you have a stomach ulcer. While there are treatments available over the counter from pharmacies that provide temporary relief, they will not treat the underlying causes.
When to seek urgent medical advice
Symptoms can develop if a stomach ulcer suddenly causes serious complications, such as internal bleeding. These include:
- vomiting blood – the blood can appear bright red or have a dark brown, grainy appearance that is similar to coffee grounds
- passing black tar-like stools
- a sudden, sharp pain in your stomach that gets steadily worse and worse and does not improve
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should contact your GP immediately. If this is not possible, contact your local out-of-hours service or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
