A peptic ulcer is a small erosion or hole in the digestive tract lining. The most common type, duodenal, occurs in the first 30 centimetres of small intestine beyond the stomach. Ulcers that form in the stomach are called gastric ulcers. Peptic ulcers are common, affecting millions every year, but they are not contagious or cancerous.

The direct cause of peptic ulcers is the destruction or weakening of the gastric or intestinal mucosal lining of the stomach or intestine by hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is the acid in the digestive juices of the stomach. Injury of the mucosal lining and weakening of the mucous defences are also responsible for peptic ulcers.

Another major cause of ulcers is the constant use of anti-inflammatory medications, including aspirin. Cigarette smoking is also an important cause of ulcer formation and ulcer treatment failure.

Ulcers are often mistaken for heartburn because of the similar burning sensation in the chest, but this pain occurs at a much more frequent rate.

The nerves in and around peptic ulcers may become irritated and cause a great amount of pain. Stomach ulcers can also cause bleeding from the erosion of a major blood vessel, lead to a perforation in the wall of the stomach or intestine, or create an obstruction of the digestive tract because of spasm, swelling or scarring in the area of the ulcer.

Most peptic ulcers can be healed with proper treatment. Research has found that the majority of ulcers are associated with an infection by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), and standard treatment in these cases is a combination of drugs, including antibiotics and acid-reducing medicines. It is also recommended that people who suffer from peptic ulcers refrain from eating spicy foods, smoking and drinking alcohol.

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