Answer box: A stomach ulcer is an open sore in the lining of the stomach or the first part of the small intestine. Most are caused by H pylori germ or long use of painkillers, and most heal with the right medicines. Dr Raman Garg, a surgical gastroenterologist at Bombay Gastro & Cancer Institute in Bathinda, Punjab, India, finds the cause by scope test and treats it, including emergency surgery for bleeding or a hole.
What is a stomach ulcer, in plain words?
Your stomach makes strong acid to digest food. A thick layer of mucus protects the stomach wall from that acid. When the layer weakens, the acid eats into the wall and leaves a raw sore. That sore is an ulcer. People call it pet ka alsar or pet me alsar. If the sore is in the stomach it is a gastric ulcer. If it is in the first part of the small intestine it is a duodenal ulcer. Together they are called peptic ulcers.
An ulcer is not caused by spicy food or stress alone, though both can make the pain feel worse. The real reasons are usually a germ and a habit, which we explain below. A surgical gastroenterologist is a stomach, gut, liver, gallbladder and pancreas specialist who also operates. For ulcers that is useful: the same doctor does the scope test, prescribes the medicines and, in the rare emergency of a bleed or a hole, can operate.
Symptoms and when to worry
The classic sign is a burning or gnawing pain in the upper middle belly, just below the breast bone. Many patients say pet me jalan or khali pet dard. A duodenal ulcer often hurts when the stomach is empty, at night or early morning, and eases after eating or taking an antacid. A gastric ulcer may hurt more soon after eating. Other signs are bloating, belching, nausea, loss of appetite and feeling full very quickly.
Some ulcers give almost no pain and show up first as tiredness, because they ooze blood slowly. Many farmers and shift workers ignore this for months. If you feel weak and look pale, ask for a blood count and a scope test.
Go to a hospital emergency the same day for any of these red flags:
- Black, tar-like, sticky stools (kaali potty)
- Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- Sudden, severe, board-like stomach pain, which can mean a hole in the stomach wall
- Dizziness, fainting or a racing heartbeat
- Vomiting that does not stop
Call +91 82641-60001, our emergency care support runs 24/7. Do not take more painkillers, because they can make a bleeding ulcer worse.
Causes and risk factors
- H pylori infection. A germ that lives in the stomach lining and causes most ulcers. It spreads through contaminated food, water and close family contact. See H pylori treatment.
- Painkillers. Regular use of diclofenac, ibuprofen, aspirin and similar tablets for joint pain, back pain or headache is the second big cause. A 55 year old farmer from Talwandi Sabo taking a pain tablet every day for knee pain is a typical case.
- Smoking, tobacco, and alcohol. They slow healing and raise the chance of a bleed.
- Severe illness or major surgery. Rarely, very sick patients develop stress ulcers.
- Other causes. Very high acid-making conditions are uncommon, but we think of them when ulcers keep returning.
Risk is higher if you are over 50, take blood thinners or steroids, or have a family history of ulcer or stomach cancer.
How Dr Raman Garg diagnoses a stomach ulcer
- Consultation. Dr Raman Garg asks about pain pattern, medicines, tobacco, stool colour and weight loss, and examines your belly. OPD consultation Rs 500 to 1,000.
- Upper GI endoscopy (gastroscopy, dooRbeen test). A thin flexible tube with a camera goes down the food pipe so we see the ulcer directly. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes, with throat spray or light sedation, and most patients tolerate it well. Rs 2,000 to 5,000. See endoscopy in Bathinda.
- Biopsy. A tiny piece of the ulcer edge is taken during the scope to rule out cancer and to test for H pylori. Gastric ulcers are always biopsied. Rs 800 to 3,000 per sample.
- H pylori stool antigen test in our in-house laboratory. Rs 1,000 to 2,000.
- Blood tests. Haemoglobin and other tests in our in-house laboratory, to check for blood loss.
- Ultrasound or CT scan only if needed, arranged with trusted imaging partners in Bathinda, with reports reviewed by Dr Raman Garg the same day.
A 60 year old with a gastric ulcer and weight loss needs the biopsy even if the medicine seems to work, because a few ulcers hide a stomach cancer. We repeat the scope after about 8 weeks when needed to confirm healing.
Treatment options: medicines first, surgery rarely
Medicines and habit changes (most patients). Treatment has three parts.
- An acid-lowering tablet (a proton pump inhibitor) for 4 to 8 weeks to let the ulcer heal.
- If H pylori is found, a 14 day course of antibiotics along with acid medicine, taken exactly as prescribed. Details at H pylori treatment in Bathinda.
- Stop or change the painkillers that caused it, quit tobacco and alcohol, and eat on time.
Most patients feel better in one to two weeks, but the ulcer needs the full course to heal. Stopping early because the pain has gone is the commonest reason ulcers return.
Endoscopic treatment for bleeding. If an ulcer is bleeding, the scope can often stop it with clips or injection while we look at it. Dr Raman Garg decides what is suited for you.
Surgery (few patients). Surgery is not needed for most ulcers. It is needed for a perforation (a hole through the stomach wall), for a bleed that cannot be controlled by medicines or the scope, for a blockage at the stomach exit from scarring, and for an ulcer that proves to be cancer. Where possible, emergency repair of a hole is done by keyhole technique. See laparoscopic surgery in Bathinda.
Medicine alone does not remove the cause if you keep taking painkillers or carrying H pylori. That is why we always look for the cause.
Before and after: what to expect
| Stage | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| Day of scope test | Fast for 6 to 8 hours. Test takes 10 to 15 minutes. Go home the same day after a short rest. Someone should accompany you if you had sedation. |
| Week 1 to 2 | Pain eases for most patients with tablets. Small meals, no spicy fried food, no tobacco. |
| Week 4 to 8 | Complete the medicine course. Follow-up by phone or video. |
| Week 8 to 12 | Repeat scope for gastric ulcers or if symptoms persist, and a test to confirm H pylori is gone. |
| After emergency surgery | Most patients start walking within a day, and Dr Raman Garg guides diet and recovery step by step. |
Timelines differ for each patient.
Ulcer diet: what to eat and avoid
- Eat small meals every 3 to 4 hours so the stomach is never empty for long.
- Choose dal, khichdi, roti, boiled vegetables, curd, banana and rice. Cold milk gives only short relief; do not depend on it.
- Reduce very spicy pickles, fried pakoras, strong tea and coffee on an empty stomach.
- Avoid tobacco, gutka, beedi, cigarettes and alcohol completely.
- Do not sleep right after dinner. Keep a gap of 2 to 3 hours.
More in our guide stomach ulcer symptoms and diet.
Risks and how they are handled
An untreated ulcer can bleed, make a hole, or scar and block the stomach exit. These are the reasons we do not advise waiting out long pain. A scope test carries small risks, such as throat discomfort, a reaction to sedation, or rarely bleeding after a biopsy, and we screen for these before the test. Emergency surgery carries risks of infection, leak and bleeding. Early arrival, quick diagnosis and a senior surgeon reduce them, and Dr Raman Garg explains them before consent.
Cost of stomach ulcer treatment in Bathinda
| Item | Starting (Rs) | Average (Rs) | Maximum (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPD consultation | 500 | 700 | 1,000 |
| Upper GI endoscopy (gastroscopy) | 2,000 | 3,200 | 5,000 |
| Biopsy report (histopathology), per sample | 800 | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| H pylori stool antigen test | 1,000 | 1,600 | 2,000 |
| Emergency surgery for perforation or bleeding ulcer | 70,000 | 1,10,000 | 1,80,000 |
Note: These are typical Punjab costs for 2026. The final cost may vary after Dr Raman Garg examines you, depending on whether biopsy is done during the scope, the number of tests needed, whether the ulcer is bleeding or perforated, and your age and health.
For most patients treatment means a scope test, a few tests and a course of tablets. Surgery cost applies only to the emergency cases. Full price list: gastro treatment cost in Bathinda.
Insurance and cashless treatment
We are empanelled with almost all major insurers and TPAs for cashless treatment, including Aditya Birla Health Insurance, Niva Bupa, Digit Insurance, Care Health Insurance, Vidal Health TPA, ICICI Lombard, Raksha TPA, Future Generali, SBI General Insurance, Oriental Insurance, Liberty General Insurance, IFFCO Tokio, Cholamandalam MS, Medi Assist TPA, and almost all other major insurers and TPAs.
- Call or WhatsApp +91 82641-60001 with your policy card.
- Our insurance desk checks your cover and arranges pre-authorisation.
- You are treated while the desk handles the paperwork with the insurer.
- At discharge, the desk files the claim and you clear only what is not covered.
Ayushman Bharat: Call us with your card details and our insurance desk will tell you the same day how your card can be used. See cashless insurance for gastro treatment.
Facilities at BGCI
- Advanced endoscopy and colonoscopy suite for ulcer scope tests and biopsies
- Fully equipped in-house diagnostic laboratory for blood, stool and H pylori tests
- Modern laparoscopic operation theatre for emergency repair when needed
- 24/7 emergency care support on +91 82641-60001
- CT and ultrasound arranged with trusted imaging partners in Bathinda, reports reviewed by Dr Raman Garg the same day
- Comfortable patient rooms for you and your family
- Stitchless laparoscopic technique with skin glue, same-day walking and discharge within 24 hours for most keyhole surgeries
- Cashless insurance desk
- One surgeon from consultation to follow-up
- Online pre-arrival consultation for out-of-town and NRI patients, and follow-up by phone or video
More on the gastro hospital in Bathinda.
Why patients choose Dr Raman Garg
Dr Raman Garg is a Surgical Gastroenterologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon with 20+ years of experience and 10,000+ laparoscopic surgeries. He holds an MBBS from Government Medical College, Patiala, an MS in General Surgery from Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, and a DNB in Surgical Gastroenterology from Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, with a fellowship in advanced laparoscopic surgery and training in Seoul, South Korea. He is registered with the Dubai Health Authority as Physician Specialist, Gastrointestinal Surgery, is a member of IAGES and AMASI, and is the first surgical gastroenterologist in the Malwa belt of Punjab. Read more on Dr Raman Garg's profile.
For an ulcer this means the person who looks at your stomach through the scope is the same person who plans your medicines and, if there is ever a bleed or a hole, your surgery. Nothing is lost in handover.
Patients we see from your area
A 55 year old from Talwandi Sabo with daily painkillers for knees, a truck driver from Giddarbaha with burning pain and black stools, a shopkeeper from Muktsar with years of night-time pain: they all come to BGCI. See gastro doctor in Talwandi Sabo (30 km, 45 min), gastro doctor in Giddarbaha (45 km, 1 hr) and gastro doctor in Muktsar (55 km, 1 hr 10 min). More towns on areas we serve.
How to book
- Call or WhatsApp +91 82641-60001 (or +91 99885-03800). Send old scope or blood reports if you have them.
- Dr Raman Garg reviews and tells you if you should come the same day.
- Visit OPD Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Sunday is for emergency only.
- Scope test, biopsy and treatment plan are arranged together, with cashless approval if you have insurance.
Address: Bombay Gastro & Cancer Institute, Power House Road, Near Street No. 10, Bathinda, Punjab 151001, India. Email: bgcibathinda@gmail.com. Book appointment.
This page is general information; your plan is set after Dr Raman Garg examines you.
Related pages
Gastro treatment in Bathinda | H pylori treatment | Acid reflux and GERD treatment | Stomach pain treatment | Stomach cancer surgery | Gastro doctor in Bathinda | H pylori infection symptoms and treatment
Medically reviewed by Dr Raman Garg
Last updated: 8 November 2026