Peptic ulcers are painful open sores or lesions in either the stomach (gastric ulcers) or duodenal lining (duodenal ulcers). Ulcers affect more than four million people each year and account for approximately 40,000 surgeries and six thousand deaths. With 10 percent of the population suffering from ulcers, they are responsible for an estimated three to five million doctor's office visits and two million prescriptions each year. Until the early 1980s, ulcers were believed to be caused primarily by such factors as stress and spicy foods, but a new link was found in 1982 that has changed attitudes about the causes of this common and painful condition. With the discovery of a bacterium called Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori), researchers have found increasing evidence that the majority of ulcers may be caused by this bacteria, and research suggests these ulcers can be treated with antibiotics.

Duodenal ulcers occur in the first section of...