Small ulcers may not cause any symptoms. Some ulcers can cause serious bleeding.

Abdominal pain is a common symptom but it doesn't always occur. The pain can differ a lot from person to person.

• Feeling of fullness -- unable to drink as much fluid
• Hunger and an empty feeling in the stomach, often 1 - 3 hours after a meal
• Mild nausea (vomiting may relieve symptom)
• Pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen
• Upper abdominal pain that wakes you up at night

Other possible symptoms include:

• Bloody or dark tarry stools
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Vomiting, possibly bloody
• Weight loss

To diagnose an ulcer, your doctor will order one of the following tests:

• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a special test performed by a gastroenterologist in which a thin tube with a camera on the end is inserted through your mouth into the GI tract to see your stomach and small intestine. During an EGD, the doctor may take a biopsy from the wall of your stomach to test for H. pylori.
• Upper GI is a series of x-rays taken after you drink a thick substance called barium.

Your doctor may also order these tests:

• Hemoglobin blood test to check for anemia
• Stool guaiac to test for blood in your stool