Types of ulcer

Types of ulcer

By location (the main classification for peptic ulcers):

• Gastric ulcer - in the stomach lining. Pain often follows meals. A gastric ulcer that does not heal needs endoscopic biopsy, because a small percentage are actually stomach cancer presenting as an ulcer - especially in people over 50.
• Duodenal ulcer - in the duodenum, just beyond the stomach. The most common peptic ulcer. Pain classically comes on an empty stomach or at night and eases with food. Duodenal ulcers are very rarely cancerous.
• Oesophageal ulcer - in the food pipe, from severe acid reflux or pill damage; causes painful swallowing and chest discomfort.

By cause:

• H. pylori-associated ulcers - the majority; cured by eradication therapy
• NSAID-induced ulcers - from painkillers; healed by stopping the drug plus acid suppression
• Stress ulcers - in critically ill hospital patients

Other "ulcers" that are completely different conditions (a common confusion):

• Mouth ulcers (canker sores) - small painful sores inside the mouth, usually from minor injury, stress or nutritional gaps; unrelated to stomach ulcers and heal on their own
• Diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers - skin ulcers from poor circulation or nerve damage; a wound-care problem, not a stomach problem
• Corneal ulcer - an eye emergency needing an eye specialist immediately

Why typing matters: a duodenal ulcer in a 30-year-old with H. pylori is a straightforward cure. A non-healing gastric ulcer in a 60-year-old demands an endoscopy and biopsy - the same word "ulcer" carries very different weight.

Remember: stomach vs duodenal ulcers differ in pattern and risk; mouth and leg ulcers are separate problems entirely. A stomach ulcer that will not heal needs endoscopy - never assume.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive)

Ayurveda would classify these by dosha dominance and site. The clinically decisive distinction today - gastric vs duodenal, benign vs malignant - comes from endoscopy and testing, not constitution typing.