Digestive Diseases - How are Peptic Ulcers Treated?

It is important for peptic ulcers to get treated early. This will reduce the risk of them causing damage to the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine. Medications are the main form of treatment and they usually work quite well, especially if they are combined with lifestyle modifications. Rarely, more complex medical treatment may be required.

Medications

Antibiotics are used to treat peptic ulcers when they are caused by H. pylori bacteria. Your doctor may prescribe a combination of antibiotics to destroy the bacteria. This will allow for the natural healing of the stores.

Medications that reduce stomach acid production are typically part of the treatment of peptic ulcers. Your doctor may recommend a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication. Another option is a histamine receptor blocker (H2 blocker). The reduced production of acid helps to protect the lining of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine so that the sores heal more quickly.

Antacids may be prescribed to patients with peptic ulcers as well. These medications work to neutralize stomach acid. They are used to enhance the effect of drugs reducing the production of stomach acid. In this way, faster and more effective healing of the sores is promoted.

Medications that protect the lining of the stomach and the small intestine may also be used as part of the treatment. These work to coat the ulcers so that they can heal properly more quickly.

All of these medications are generally safe to take. You should not experience any side effects. If you do, you must call your doctor immediately.

You may have to stop taking the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which you have been using, if it has been found to have caused your peptic ulcer. Your doctor will prescribe another type of medication to replace it. It is possible to continue taking the NSAID, but in this case, the treatment of the ulcer will take longer.

Surgery

Peptic ulcers may have to be surgically removed when there is no other option for their treatment. If these do not heal or keep coming back, your doctor may recommend surgery. If a sore bleeds, causes perforation of the stomach or the small intestine or blocks the passage of food from the stomach to the small intestine, then emergency surgery will be necessary to fix the problem.

In the majority of cases, peptic ulcers are treated successfully. However, they may come back. That is why it is important to take adequate preventive measures.