Medical Health Encyclopedia

Because ulcers can cause long-term hidden bleeding, patients may experience the symptoms of anemia, including fatigue and shortness of breath.

Emergency Symptoms

Text Continues Below

---

A sudden onset of severe symptoms may indicate intestinal obstruction, perforation, or hemorrhage, which are all emergency conditions. They may include one or more of the following:

• Tarry, black, or bloody stools.
• Severe vomiting, which may include one or more of the following: blood or a substance with the appearance of coffee grounds (a sign of a serious hemorrhage) or entire stomach contents (sign of intestinal obstruction).
• Severe abdominal pain with or without vomiting or evidence of blood.
• Persons who experience any of these symptoms should go to the emergency room immediately.

Peptic ulcers may lead to emergency situations. Severe abdominal pain with or without evidence of bleeding may indicate a perforation of the ulcer through the stomach or duodenum. Vomiting of a substance that resembles coffee grounds or the presence of black tarry stools may indicate serious bleeding.