This article discusses the symptoms, complications, and causes of curling ulcers.
Stress-Related Ulcer Symptoms
In some cases, stress-related ulcers may develop without any symptoms at all. However, when symptoms do appear, the most notable is GI tract bleeding.
The areas of the GI tract affected could include the esophagus, the stomach, or the first part of the small intestine (duodenum). The bleeding is often enough to require some form of treatment.
Other symptoms that can occur when someone develops a curling ulcer include:
Fatigue Nausea and/or vomiting Dark and loose stool Abdominal pain
Complications
The main complication associated with curling ulcers is perforation, which is when the ulcer manages to create a hole through the entire digestive tract in the area affected.
When this happens, digestive juices, as well as food a person eats, can leak through the hole and into the abdominal cavity. Although curling ulcers result in perforation less than 1% of the time, when it does occur, it is considered a medical emergency.
Causes of Curling Ulcers
The main cause of curling ulcers is a severe burn that affects over 30% of a person’s body. When a person experiences this injury, their body becomes extremely stressed. That stress leads to the GI tract’s erosion, resulting in a curling ulcer.
Risk Factors
The biggest risk factor attached to developing a curling ulcer is getting a bad burn injury. Typically, the burn has to cover at least one-third of a person’s body. However, this type of ulcer can, in rare cases, appear after burns that seem less severe, such as a sunburn. The sunburn itself has to be severe in nature.
Diagnosis
To diagnose curling ulcers, healthcare providers will examine the extent of a person’s burn and any symptoms they may be experiencing alongside the burn. If they present with any symptoms of a curling ulcer, an endoscopy will be ordered.
An endoscopy is an exam that involves the use of a small tool with a camera located on the end. The tool is placed into the mouth and down into the GI tract to get a better visual of what’s going on. This type of examination can be used alongside a primary burn injury to diagnose curling ulcers.
Treatment
The first viable treatment for curling ulcers was surgery. However, the treatment for curling ulcers has progressed dramatically in the last five decades.
The most common treatment is a high dose of medication used to reduce the amount of stomach acid a person has. These types of medications are known as proton-pump inhibitors.
Prevention
Preventing curling ulcers can be difficult because they are a secondary complication of a physical burn injury, and burn injuries are typically accidents.
When a person does experience a burn, healthcare providers may prescribe them antacids (medications designed to reduce stomach acid) in an attempt to prevent a curling ulcer from developing.
Summary
Curling ulcers are holes in the gastrointestinal tract that develop after a person experiences great physical stress. The physical injury most associated with curling ulcers is a burn. Burns that are most likely to cause curling ulcers are severe and cover at least 30% of a person’s body.
While there are not always symptoms, someone with a curling ulcer could experience bleeding, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, dark and loose stools, or fatigue. The only way to diagnose a curling ulcer is through the use of endoscopy.
If a person who has experienced a burn develops a curling ulcer, they are typically treated with medication designed to reduce levels of stomach acid so that the damage to the GI tract doesn’t continue to worsen over time. Preventing burns is the best way to avoid curling ulcers, however, taking antacids prescribed by the healthcare provider if you experience a burn can also lower the risk.
A Word From Verywell
Dealing with a curling ulcer while you are also recovering from a severe burn injury isn’t easy. Fortunately, this complication only develops in a small number of people who have been burned. In the event that you do develop a curling ulcer, your healthcare provider can prescribe you simple treatment to recover.
