I’m not sure whether I had an ulcer when had H pylori because I only ran a stool test and not an endoscopy.
All I know is that my heartburn and tummy pain was really bad and I’m glad I got rid of it without having a tube stuck down my throat!
After a little reading, it turned out that H pylori infections are the number one causes of both stomach ulcers and intestinal ulcers.
In fact, a couple of Aussie doctors won the Nobel Prize for proving H pylori bacteria cause ulcers back in 2005.
That corkscrew shape allows the H pylori bugs to drill holes into the stomach lining, which isn’t very pleasant.
Before this was known, most people thought ulcers were caused by spicy food, aspirin and stress – go figure!
Why do I mention this? Well I think it’s important to get checked out for ulcers if your symptoms are bad.
I don’t want you to have visited this site and left without learning this info.
Unlike home stool tests for bugs like H pylori, there’s no home test for an ulcer – you need to get checked by your doctor.
According to medical websites, the main signs and symptoms of ulcers are:
- Severe heartburn or stomach pain – may ease when milk is drunk
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- The vomit can have a grainy appearance – like coffee
- Dark colored stool (it’s dried blood from the ulcers when they bleed)
- Lump in throat
- Feeling like food is just sitting in your stomach
- Excessive belching
If you have any of these symptoms, please, please, please seek a doctor’s assistance immediately.
Having spoken with plenty of folk who’ve had an ulcer, they’re not to be underestimated, and certainly not to be ignored.