Digestive disorders

IV/4.4: Symptomatology

The signs and symptoms of peptic ulcer include pain, dyspepsia (unpleasant sensation accompanying the meals and the digestion), nausea, vomiting, changes of hunger and appetite. In patients with gastric ulcer the epigastric, usually dull and pressing pain is increased by meals and alleviated by emptying of the stomach or vomiting. Patients with peptic ulcer are often waked up by the pain at night. A newer meal or alcohol consumption provokes the occurrence of complaints. Nausea and an urge to vomit are common. Acidic vomiting is rare; vomitus containing rests of food is commonly complained. Because of fearing of pain, patients frequently dare not to eat, what leads to anorexia; weight loss. An early sensation of satiety, untimely feeling of fullness is common. Eructation alleviates the complaints.

Bleeding, the most frequent complication of gastric ulcer may occur in the form of occult blood loss, hematemesis or melena. Sudden epigastric pain, radiating to the shoulder and the right hypochondrium, signs of peritoneal irritation and occurrence of muscular defense suggest an overt abdominal perforation. Development of stenosis (narrowing) is indicated by the signs of obstruction including a sensation of pressure in the epigastrium, fullness, nausea, and vomitus containing undigested rests of food.