A gastric ulcer (peptic or stomach ulcer) is an injury to the stomach inner surface that is caused by gastric acid and can lead to bleeding in the stomach and pain in the upper torso. Gastric ulcers are not cancerous.
Gastric acid is a natural component of gastric juice, which supports digestion and protects the body from pathogens that enter the stomach via the mouth. If the acid content in gastric juice becomes too high, it can lead to injury of the stomach mucosa. This injury is referred to as a stomach ulcer. The patient usually feels pain in the upper chest and in 20% of these cases there is also injury to blood vessels, which causes bleeding. Although gastric ulcers may manifest with certain resemblance to tumors, they are neither tumors nor are they cancerous.
The cause of a gastric ulcer is usually an infection of the stomach by Helicobacter pylori bacteria, regular consumption of pain medications (NSAIDs), tobacco smoking, drinking alcohol, or especially stressful situations. Gastric ulcers usually make themselves known through pain in the middle of the upper abdomen associated with eating. In rare cases, bleeding in the stomach can cause black-colored bowel movements or black-colored vomit (also known as coffee ground vomitus).
In rare cases, damage of the stomach lining can become a hole (perforation) leading to the abdomen. This requires emergency surgery. Treatment for gastric ulcers aims to reduce the amount of gastric acid with acid blockers. In the case of an infection with Helicobacter pylori, antibiotics are used in combination with acid blockers. Certain medications (NSAIDs and cortisone), smoking tobacco and consuming alcohol should be avoided.
Several years of work in academia, medical practice and finally commercialization make it possible to provide an end-to-end process to help users to “find the appropriate medical help based on their present symptoms”. Below you will find a short explanation, showing you which part of the platform will help you best in finding the appropriate medical support.
Proceed as follows to enter your current symptoms.
Click on the appropriate body part on the picture. Select one/multiple symptoms corresponding to your complaint.
You can also add symptoms by typing your medical complaint in the search box and selecting the best matching suggestion.
Note: Your information will be kept anonymously.
Once you have selected all applicable symptoms, click the “analyze disease pattern”-button.
Accordingly, you will get a list of possible diseases and matching doctor categories who can further help you.
You can inform yourself about the possible diseases by reading the related information. But you can also return to the previous step and add more symptoms or delete already added ones to further narrow down your disease pattern.
Click on the desired doctor category to find a doctor who can help you.
If you are logged in with your profile, you will be displayed the appropriate doctors in your area. Otherwise you can enter an address in the “address” field and you will be displayed a doctor’s list around that specified address.
You will receive further information about the displayed doctors when you press on “details”.
Online bookable doctors in your area will be indicated with the notation “Book appointment” or “Book externally”, additionally they will be displayed on top of the list for your convenience.
Click on “Book appointment” to start the online appointment booking process with the desired doctor.
Please select an available appointment. “Green“ appointments are booked directly. “Red“ appointments need to be confirmed by the doctor.
Enter your general personal and health information.
Enter your present medical symptoms.
Enter your mobile phone number to identify yourself and you can finalize the appointment booking.
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