Is there a characteristic symptom of a duodenal ulcer, on the basis of which a doctor can diagnose ulceration of this particular part of the digestive system? It turns out there is! This is pain that radiates to the region of the left shoulder blade or in the hypochondrium. Is it possible to suspect without special medical knowledge that this pain is not related to the spine?
Functions of the duodenum
The duodenum is located near the gastric pylorus and belongs to the organs of the small intestine. It is she who secretes intestinal juice with the enzymes necessary for the digestion of food. Thanks to its contractile ability - motility - products are mixed with this juice in it, and the contents move to neighboring sections of the intestine.
This section of the intestine is covered with a triple membrane, which consists of:
- serous component, also covering the stomach;
- muscular, providing contractility;
- The mucosa on which the intestinal villi are located.
Each villus at the end has vascular and lymphatic organs that absorb nutrients, and glands at the base involved in the digestive system. If at least one villus is damaged, then an ulcer of the duodenal bulb appears, the symptoms of which can be seen by unpleasant changes in one's own condition. It is impossible not to pay attention to the emerging pain. Although not all of them can be independently associated with pathology in the digestive system.
Suspicions of an ulcerative process
Symptoms that indicate a duodenal ulcer include:
- dyspeptic disorders;
- pain in the morning, which usually appears on the right under the ribs;
- pain when not eating;
- burp;
- excess gas;
- vomit;
- The main symptom of a duodenal ulcer, which does not occur with a stomach ulcer, is pain under the left shoulder blade.
Also, if there is an ulcer in this part of the intestine, the patient may experience weight loss.
If only a symptom of a duodenal ulcer makes itself felt during inflammation of the bulb, which gives reflected pain in the region of the left shoulder blade, then doctors cannot diagnose the ulcerative process for a very long time. The patient is treated for osteochondrosis, aggravating ulceration of the intestinal mucosa with the use of nonsteroidal drugs. And only when other manifestations of ulcerativedisease, special treatment is prescribed.
But the doctor should not be blamed for ignorance or inattention. Most often, the patient is "guilty" himself. He does not associate these pains with the process of eating, although their manifestation occurs at a strictly defined time. Acute pain often occurs a couple of hours after eating and does not subside even with the use of painkillers.
Causes of ulcers and its treatment
The diagnosis is not always given - duodenal ulcer - symptoms.
Photo or x-ray, fibrogastroscopy - only they are the basis for the diagnosis. Currently, the photographic method is rarely used, it requires preliminary preparation: before the study, you need to drink a contrast agent, which for many patients is an allergen. FGS - endoscopic examination of the duodenum by inserting a sensor into the patient's body - provides an effective assessment of the condition of its membrane.
The causes of duodenal ulcers are considered hyperacidity, eating disorders, stressful situations, a side effect of the use of drugs and infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Therefore, before prescribing treatment, the result of another analysis is needed - for the presence of Helicobacter in the blood. To do this, you still have to donate blood from a vein. If the analysis showed the presence of bacteria, then, in addition to enveloping drugs, agents that reduce inflammation and reduce the acidity of the secretion, antibiotics are prescribed.
Currently, if Helicobacter pylori is not detected, Omez, De-nol, Almagel and the like are used to treat ulcers. Their combination, dosage and duration of administration is determined by the attending physician. Macrolide antibiotics are considered the most suitable for the destruction of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium.
If there is at least one symptom of a duodenal ulcer, then a doctor must be consulted. An untreated ulcer can give a complication in the form of gastric bleeding, and then it will be impossible to do without surgical intervention, during which the affected section will be excised.
