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DIGESTIVE SERVICES

Diagnosis & Treatment

Peptic Ulcer Disease

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How are Peptic Ulcers Diagnosed?

Diagnosis

NewYork-Presbyterian physicians provide diagnostic testing to determine if your stomach pain and other symptoms are due to an ulcer, including:

  • X-ray visualization of your digestive tract with barium swallow
  • Examination of your stomach and esophagus using esophagogastroduodenoscopy
  • Blood, breath, and stomach tissue tests to look for the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterial infection that causes the vast majority of peptic ulcers

How are Peptic Ulcers Treated?

Treatment
Medication

Treatment for peptic ulcers and duodenal ulcers with a combination of antibiotics is typically the first line of therapy if H. pylori cause your ulcer.

Lifestyle changes

Quitting smoking and reducing caffeine consumption can reduce ulcer symptoms. A registered dietitian can also teach you how to avoid foods that cause irritation. If you regularly take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS), which can aggravate peptic ulcers, we may advise you to reduce your dose or switch to a medication that does not cause stomach irritation.

Surgical options

If your ulcer persists despite medication and lifestyle changes, we may recommend surgery as a peptic ulcer disease treatment option. Surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian are highly skilled at procedures to treat peptic ulcers, using minimally invasive laparoscopy whenever possible to perform:

  • Vagotomy. This procedure involves cutting parts of the vagus nerve to interrupt the signals your brain sends to your stomach to make stomach acid, thereby reducing acid secretion.
  • Antrectomy. The surgeon removes the lower part of your stomach (antrum), which produces a hormone that stimulates digestive juices.
  • Pyloroplasty. During this procedure, which your surgeon may perform in combination with vagotomy, the opening into the duodenum and small intestine (pylorus) are enlarged to allow contents to pass more freely from the stomach.

FAQs

FAQs

The most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is pain in the abdomen. This pain is often described as a burning sensation.

Stomach ulcers do not commonly cause diarrhea but can cause nausea and vomiting.

Though stomach ulcers can occasionally go away on their own, you should seek medical attention if you are concerned you may have a stomach ulcer.

While coffee and spicy foods will not cause ulcers on their own, they can exacerbate the symptoms of ulcers.

Milk may coat the stomach line and ease stomach pain briefly, but it will ultimately cause the stomach to produce additional acid, leading to irritation.

Get Care

Trust NewYork-Presbyterian for Peptic Ulcer Treatment

Armed with the results of diagnostic tests, your NewYork-Presbyterian team can customize a plan of treatment that meets your needs and addresses your symptoms. With every type of gastrointestinal specialist available, NewYork-Presbyterian is the best choice for you if you are concerned you may have a peptic ulcer.