Fever, chills, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing are all signs of a condition requiring urgent medical care.
Complications of a stomach ulcermay include malnutrition, gastric perforation, andbowel obstructioncaused by inflammation of the duodenum.
Both an obstruction and perforation are considered medical emergencies requiring immediate attention.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
What Causes Stomach Ulcers in Children?
H. pyloriis a corkscrew-shaped bacterium commonly linked to chronic gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Around 50% of the worlds population is believed to haveH.
pylori.According to one study, over 30% of these people will develop upper gastrointestinal symptoms.
Uncommon causes includehypersecretorydisorders in which excessive stomach acids are produced.
Examples includecystic fibrosis, basophilic leukemia,Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and multiple endocrine neoplasias.
In rare cases, a stomach ulcer may be a sign of blood cancer known aslymphoma.
Diagnosis of Stomach Ulcers
Diagnosing a stomach ulcer in children can be a challenge.
Some of the tests used for adults, such as theH.
pyloriantibody blood test, are less accurate in children.
Unless the symptoms are severe, a healthcare provider usually will start the investigation with minimally invasive tests.
This is especially true if the stomach ulcer in a child is small.
Side effects include upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and constipation.
Stomach Ulcer Treatment
If your child’s stomach ulcer is related toH.
Keep in mind that eradicatingH.
pylorihas proven difficult in recent years due to antibiotic resistance.
To this end, healthcare providers often now take a more aggressive approach.
If this treatment fails, other drug combinations will be used until all signs of the infection are gone.
Treatment usually lasts 14 days and typically involves the antibiotics clarithromycin and amoxicillin.
Subsequent therapies may include tetracycline or metronidazole.
These antibiotics need to be taken as directedand to completionto avoid the development of antibiotic resistance.
These include high-fiber fruits and vegetables, lean chicken and fish, and probiotics like yogurt.
Surgery is rarely used to treat stomach ulcers in children.
A Word From Verywell
Finding out that your child has a stomach ulcer can be upsetting.
While your child is receiving care, though, it’s important to reduce stress.
But if your child needs to lose weight, now is not the time to start.
Focus first on healing the ulcer and any underlying cause before moving forward with a diet and exercise plan.
It is often described as a burning or gnawing sensation.
At least four million people are affected by stomach ulcers each year in the US.
At some point in their lives, one in 10 people will develop a peptic ulcer.
They are more likely to happen to women as well as any person age 60 and older.
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