Differences between gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer

Difference between gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer

In busy modern life, stomach diseases are no longer limited to the elderly, and more and more young people are also beginning to suffer from stomach pain. Especially now that young people have too casual living and eating habits, they often do not eat on time, which leads to stomach problems. Among them, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer are the two most common stomach diseases. Although they both belong to the category of peptic ulcer, there are significant differences in the site of onset, symptoms and treatment methods. Therefore, many people tend to confuse the concepts of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. In fact, the difference between the two diseases is quite large. Next year, Dr. Yu Li will take you to learn more about them and learn more about health knowledge.

Gastric ulcer, as the name implies, refers to an ulcer that occurs on the inner wall of the stomach, usually located in the lesser curvature of the gastric antrum or the gastric antrum. Duodenal ulcer refers to an ulcer that occurs in the duodenal bulb. It can be seen that the two diseases have different causes due to the different sites of onset. The formation of gastric ulcer is related to factors such as excessive gastric acid, weakened gastric mucosal protection mechanism, and Helicobacter pylori infection; while duodenal ulcer is more related to the digestive effects of gastric acid and pepsin, as well as mental and psychological factors. The occurrence mechanisms of the two are also different.

In terms of symptoms, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer are also different. Patients with gastric ulcer usually experience upper abdominal pain within 1-2 hours after a meal, because the stomach will close the cardia after eating. The stomach will peristalsis to digest food, and more gastric acid will be produced to stimulate the ulcer surface, so the pain will worsen. Why does the pain last for several hours? Because it takes a while for the stomach contents to move and empty, so the pain will occur for several hours, sometimes accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Duodenal ulcers often manifest as hunger pain or night pain, and the pain is mostly located in the middle or slightly to the right of the upper abdomen. The pain can be relieved after eating, which is also relatively easy to distinguish. First, they have different pain times, and second, they have different pain locations.

In terms of treatment, both gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer are mainly treated with drugs, including drugs that inhibit gastric acid secretion, drugs that protect the gastric mucosa, and drugs that eradicate Helicobacter pylori. Triple therapy or quadruple therapy is usually selected. It is recommended that if you find discomfort in the stomach area, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible, and choose the appropriate treatment method after clarifying the condition. The specific treatment plan should be formulated according to the specific situation of each person. At the same time, adjusting eating habits and avoiding excessive fatigue and mental stress are also important measures to prevent and treat these two ulcers.

In conclusion, although both gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer are peptic ulcers, they have obvious differences in etiology, symptoms and treatment. Understanding these differences can help us better prevent and treat these two common stomach diseases. Let us start from the little things in life, care for our stomach and enjoy a healthy life.