• Peptic ulcers are sores in the inner lining of the stomach or upper small intestine. To treat peptic ulcer disease, most people need to take medicines that reduce the amount of acid in the stomach. You also may need to take antibiotics to kill an infection that can cause the disease.
• You can help speed the healing of your ulcer and prevent it from coming back if you quit smoking, limit caffeine and alcohol, and reduce stress. Continued smoking and use of medicines such as aspirin or naproxen may increase the chance of your ulcer coming back.
• Your symptoms, such as belly pain, may come and go for some time. You may have short periods free of pain. But don't ignore symptoms of an ulcer. This condition needs to be treated.
• If you are older than 45 and have a stomach ulcer, it will be tested for cancer. In rare cases, stomach ulcers contain cancer cells.

What is a peptic ulcer?

A peptic ulcer is a sore in the inner lining of the stomach or upper small intestine (duodenum). Ulcers develop when the intestine or stomach's protective outer layer is broken down. When this happens, digestive juices can damage the intestine or stomach tissue. These strong juices, which contain hydrochloric acid and an enzyme called pepsin, also can injure the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube that leads from your throat to your stomach.

Peptic ulcers are no longer a condition that most people have to live with their entire lives. Treatment cures most ulcers, and symptoms go away quickly.

Peptic ulcers that form in the stomach are called gastric ulcers. Those that form in the upper small intestine are called duodenal (say "doo-uh-DEE-nul" or "doo-AW-duh-nul") ulcers.

See a picture of the digestive tract.

What causes peptic ulcers?

The two most common causes of peptic ulcers are:

• Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria.
• Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

H. pylori and NSAIDs break down the stomach or intestine’s protective mucus layer. The mucus layer prevents digestive juices from damaging the stomach and intestine.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include:

• A burning, aching, gnawing pain between the belly button (navel) and the breastbone. Some people also have back pain. The pain can last from a few minutes to a few hours and may come and go for weeks.
• Pain that usually goes away for a while after you take an antacid or acid reducer.
• Loss of appetite and weight loss.
• Bloating or nausea after eating.
• Vomiting after meals.
• Vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds.
• Passing black stools that look like tar or stools that have streaks of dark red blood.

Different people have different symptoms, and some people have no symptoms at all.

How are peptic ulcers diagnosed?