What is Duodenal Ulcer and How to Diagnose?

The condition referred to as Duodenal Ulcer is one that typically announces itself as a sharp, severe pain in the upper part of the abdomen (the Epigastrium), appearing when a person is hungry and the stomach is empty. Essentially, duodenal ulcers are caused by too much acid in the stomach; when the acid proves too strong for the protective inner lining of the duodenum (the part where the stomach joins the small intestine), it starts, in effect, burning a hole in the stomach wall.