Practice Areas
Blog 
General
- Panel Sparks Controversy Again with New Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines
- Doctor Misdiagnoses Woman and Fails to Complete Full Examination; Woman Dies Days Later!
- Study Finds Hospital Acquired Infections Greatly Impact ICU Deaths
- Medical Malpractice and Res Ipsa Loquitur: An Explanation
- Medical Malpractice Liability and Nurses; Why Nurses are being sued More and More Often
News
Posted on 5/17/2012
Posted on 4/27/2012
Posted on 11/14/2011
Posted on 8/1/2011
Posted on 7/9/2011
Library
General
- Discover how you can win your lawsuit by taking Three Simple Steps in Kingston, New York
- How I learned a lesson in life from a shyster lawyer
- The Day My Hero Died
- Discover how you can get the special services for your disabled child in an Individualized Education Plan in Kingston, New York
- Discover how you can get top-notch health insurance for your family for less than $200 a month in Kingston, New York
Attack of the Killer Ulcer: What you can do to prevent an ulcer from changing your life in Kingston, New York
Have you ever suffered from an ulcer? Just lay off the spicy food until you feel better, right? Did you know that a stomach ulcer can kill you? Do I have your attention, yet?
Stomach ulcers (also known as peptic ulcers) originate in the lining of the stomach and are caused (in 90% of cases) by a bacteria known as H pylori. Stomach ulcers are like small blisters that you might get on your lips in the winter and usually they heal themselves. But stomach ulcers are no joke--they can kill you if not diagnosed and treated.
How can a stomach ulcer kill me?
When a stomach ulcer forms, you have a blister in the inner lining of your stomach. Without treatment, the ulcer can become aggravated by acidic substances, like spicy foods, cigarettes and alcohol. If the ulcer deepens, you face the risk that it will perforate the wall of the stomach and that is a serious problem.
When a stomach ulcer perforates the stomach wall, the gastric contents (food and fluids) will pass through the hole in your stomach into your abdominal cavity. Food and fluids were not meant to flow into your abdominal cavity and when this happens, you will become severely sick with the worst pain you can imagine called peritonitis.
Peritonitis is the inflammation of the peritoneum, and it occurs within 24-48 hours of the stomach perforation. You now have a medical emergency on your hands. The acidic substances in your abdominal cavity can destroy the tissues in your peritoneum (this is called necrosis) and when that occurs, infection will set into your bloodstream known as sepsis. At this point, you are in real trouble of dying from a peptic ulcer.
What are the symptoms of a stomach ulcer?
The primary symptom of a peptic ulcer is epigastric pain. Epigastric refers the upper abdomen (above your belly button). Upper abdominal pain is a classic symptom that can be associated with a peptic ulcer. The epigastric pain will generally worsen as your stomach ulcer gets deeper and penetrates through the stomach wall.
You will often have difficulty sleeping and doing just about any physical activities with stomach ulcers. Vomiting, nausea and loss of weight are common side effects of stomach ulcers.
What you can do to prevent a stomach ulcer
If you suspect you have a stomach ulcer, the most definitive test is upper endoscopy. This is a simple 5-minute procedure done in the office setting by a gastroenterologist where he/she passes a long tube down your throat to look directly into your stomach and first part of your small intestine. The gastroenterologist can see the inner lining of your stomach during an upper endoscopy and thus, he will be able to see your ulcer. A CT scan of the abdomen is much less worthwhile for purposes of diagnosing a stomach ulcer. Rarely will a peptic ulcer be revealed by a CT scan of the abdomen.
If you suspect that you have a stomach ulcer, don't let your guard down--this can be serious! The doctor of choice for treating a peptic ulcer is a gastroenterologist, who specializes in treating disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, and the rectum). Only a gastroenterologist can perform an upper endoscopy, but your primary care physician can make the order for upper endoscopy.
Once you confirm that you have a peptic ulcer, the next step is treatment. Because ulcers are caused by the H pylori bacteria, you should take an antibiotics over the course of 7-10 days and begin antacid medications. Giving the stomach ulcer time to heal is important, so you want to stay away from acidic foods, alcohol and smoking. With time and the right treatment, your stomach ulcer will heal.
What you can do if you have questions
If you want more information, or have any questions, I welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882. You can always request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website, www.protectingpatientrights.com. Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Free Book
The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims
ONE BIG PROMISE
You will not be another of the 98,000 victims of medical malpractice in the United States in 2009 if you read my FREE BOOK. I have a book that will tell you why most victims of medical malpractice never recover a penny. If you are the victim of medical malpractice, we will rush this free, valuable information so you know what to do. If you don't call now, you have only yourself to blame.
You will never have to worry about medical malpractice again if you call this toll-free number, 866-889-6882, for your free book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, and an audio CD of the book, or you can request the book here and the book will be rushed to you immediately at no cost.
(New York residents only)
Connect With Us
Are we friends on Twitter and Facebook yet? I regularly post tips and advice about medical malpractice that I know you’ll enjoy. Click the links and let’s connect!
Free Case Evaluation
Begin your case review by filling out the form below or call us at 866.689.9692
John H. Fisher
130 North Front Street
Kingston, New York 12402-3058
Phone: 518.265.9131
Fax: 845-331-2004
Toll Free: 866.889.6882
Get Directions
Contact Info
John H. Fisher
130 North Front Street
Kingston, New York 12402-3058
Phone: 518.265.9131
Fax: 845-331-2004
Toll Free: 866.889.6882
Video Library
General:
- Personal Injury Attorney In New York Is Motivated By The Difference His Case Results Make In Peoples Lives
- How To Know Which Law Firm Is Right For You According To Medical Malpractice Attorney In New York
- Knowing You Are The Victim Of Medical Malpractice Can Be Tricky According To New York Attorney
FAQ
General
- What is the best way to reduce (or even eliminate) photocopy expenses in your law practice in Kingston, New York?
- Why you should never pay attention to lawyer advertisements when hiring a lawyer in Kingston, New York?
- What is the #1 way to defeat a subrogation claim against your injury compensation in New York?