A gastroenterologist, Dr Ganiyat Oyeleke, says it is possible for a patient to have an ulcer without pain, even as many victims experience severe pain in their stomach.
Dr Oyeleke, a consultant at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), revealed this when she appeared on Channels Television’s Health Matters.
“Some people do not experience pain when they have an ulcer, it happens in some cases,” she said. but some could have
“But some could have bloating, that is the feeling of fullness in the tummy. They complain of been bloated when they just eat little things.”
On the symptoms from complications of ulcer, the gastroenterologist said ulcer pain could come before or after meal, and even at night.
“Symptoms of complications from ulcer could be intense or sudden severe abdominal pain, some would have whit-low, weakness, loss of appetite,” she said.
Dr Oyeleke further stressed that not everyone develops a peptic ulcer, but the bacteria contained in some drugs and foods could expose a patient to such.
“There are also some other risk factors that put the person at high risk of developing peptic ulcer.
“We have someone with heavy alcohol consumption – someone who smokes heavily, certain illnesses of the liver and the lungs, and people’s high-dose steroid use,” she said.
