Symptoms of duodenal ulcer
Duodenal ulcers are relatively common in clinical practice and are a frequent condition in gastroenterology. Duodenal ulcers are generally more prevalent among middle-aged individuals, with symptoms most commonly including abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and vomiting. The abdominal pain typically manifests as upper abdominal pain, usually hunger pain which often improves after eating. It typically presents as long-term, chronic episodes over extended periods and can also occur at night as hunger pain. Therefore, for some typical patients, especially middle-aged individuals, upper abdominal pain should raise concerns about duodenal ulcers. If a patient exhibits symptoms other than abdominal pain, such as black stools, this could suggest bleeding associated with duodenal ulcers, potentially leading to black stools or even vomiting blood. Hence, it is advised that if a patient has symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding along with abdominal pain, consideration should be given to the possibility of a bleeding duodenal ulcer. It is recommended that such patients undergo thorough gastroscopic examinations to clarify the diagnosis further.