It is often thought that people with ulcers are making too much acid and pepsin. However, for the majority of sufferers this is not so and the amount of acid produced tends to get less with age. A very important cause of developing an ulcer is a germ or bacterium called Helicobacter pylori, known as H. pylori. This is found in the lining of the stomach of about half of the adults in Britain and it is now certain that having this germ present makes developing ulcers much more likely. Medical research is actively investigating why it is that only some people who are infected with the germ get ulcers.
Ulcers are common in Britain and men are more prone to suffer than women.
About one in ten men and one in fifteen women suffer from an ulcer at some time in their lives, but in most people they heal up with treatment. People who have H. pylori present in the lining of their stomach are far more likely to develop further ulcers and so it is important that they receive treatment to clear this infection. This can usually be done by using a combination of tablets including antibiotics. Ulcers are rare in children and are more likely to occur as people get older. Sometimes peptic ulcers tend to run in families.