Patient's question:
I used to drink a lot of beer, and recently I've occasionally felt some stomach pain. My family and partner said it's a stomach ulcer, but my father said it's gastritis. I want to ask what the difference is between a stomach ulcer and gastritis, and how to distinguish between them?Doctor's answer:
Actually, the clinical manifestations of stomach problems are quite similar. Generally, they involve multiple occurrences of nausea, dry heaving, belching, stomach bloating, stomach discomfort, stomach pain, and acid reflux. Therefore, it is necessary to go to the hospital for a thorough examination and treatment. For example, undergoing a barium meal scan of the stomach or an endoscopic examination, while also performing a carbon-13 breath test, can help rule out conditions such as gastritis, gastric ulcers, reflux gastritis, reflux esophagitis, and Helicobacter pylori infection. If Helicobacter pylori infection occurs frequently, it can be treated with a triple or quadruple therapy.