The duodenum is the organ of the digestive system, which is the initial section of the small intestine, into which the ducts of the liver and pancreas branch. It secretes intestinal juice, consisting of enzymes and hormones involved in digestion, facilitates the progress of incoming food to further intestinal parts.
Why does duodenal ulcer develop?
Duodenal ulcer is a chronic disease in which sufficiently deep defective lesions are formed on the walls of the body, affecting not only the mucous tissues, but also deeper (muscle, serosa). The main causes of ulceration are:
- The effect of hydrochloric acid of gastric juice with its increased acidity, causing inflammatory processes (which can be due to malnutrition, harmful habits, stress, genetic predisposition).
- Infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, as a result of which the intestinal walls are damaged.
- Uncontrolled use of certain medicines.
Symptoms of duodenal ulcer in adults
Before considering what symptoms of duodenal ulcers appear in most patients, it is worth noting that this disease is characterized by a recurring course. Those. in the course of the disease, you can distinguish periods of exacerbation and remission ("remission"). And most often, exacerbations occur in the fall or in the spring, and after a period of acute manifestations, spontaneous stinking of them is possible. The first symptoms of duodenal ulcer may not be prominent, so more often the disease is diagnosed at later stages.
The main symptoms and signs of duodenal ulcers are:
1. Pain - often has a piercing, cutting character. Localized pain in the epigastric region, but they can give in the back, in the hypochondrium on the right. They are noted after 1-2 hours after the meal and are associated with exposure to inflamed bowel walls of acidic stomach contents. Often there are pains at night, which are explained by increased production of hydrochloric acid after dinner. Also, pain can be noted during hunger, and they disappear even after a light snack.
2. Dyspeptic disorders - are associated with increased acidity and disruption of food digestion processes. These include:
- heartburn;
- eructation;
- bloating;
- rumbling in the abdomen ;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- flatulence ;
- constipation or diarrhea.
3. Blood vomiting, the appearance of a black stool - these signs indicate bleeding ulcers, associated with the destruction of the walls of blood vessels. Such signs are quite serious and require urgent medical attention.
4. Constant hunger, incomplete saturation.
5. Broken, tired, irritable.
6. Lack of appetite - appears with prolonged intense pain.
7. Pallor, weight loss.
Symptoms of perforation of duodenal ulcer
The perforation of duodenal ulcer is the most dangerous complication of a long-lasting disease. In this case, a through hole opens into the abdominal cavity through which the contents of the stomach and intestines enter it, which causes inflammatory processes in the peritoneum. At the same time, internal bleeding can occur. Identify the complication of such signs:
- the appearance of sudden sharp, daggerache in the abdomen;
- blanching of the skin;
- protrusion of cold, sticky sweat;
- lowering blood pressure;
- shallow breathing.