When Erica White began vomiting blood in September 1991, her boyfriend and her roommate rushed her to Centre Community Hospital. To confirm the diagnosis, White went to a State College physician for an upper gastrointestinal exam, an X-ray test which University Health Services does not offer. White's exam revealed a bleeding stomach ulcer.
Ulcers occur if stomach acid erodes a hole in the lining of the digestive tract.
A bleeding ulcer results if the stomach acid also destroys a blood vessel in the lining. If discovered early, ulcers can be prevented. White was diagnosed as a hyperacid secreter, meaning that her stomach naturally produces more acid than necessary. White's father, who has three stomach ulcers, shares the condition. Hereditary hyperacidity is rare, but there is some evidence that stress increases the amount of acid secreted by the stomach.