Ulcers are painful sores that are slow to heal and sometimes even end up recurring. While ulcers are not uncommon, how and why they appear and all of their corresponding symptoms and signs totally depend on where they occur on the body or what caused them in the first place. Ulcers could appear anywhere on or in the body, right from the outer layer of the skin to the lining in the stomach. While some ulcers go away on their own, there are others that require medical treatment to prevent serious complications. Listed below are the main types of ulcers that could occur:

Peptic ulcers
Peptic ulcers are the most common kind of ulcers and develop in the small intestine or the stomach lining. In half the patients, peptic ulcers are caused due to extensive use of anti-inflammatory medication NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications), or due to the H. Pylori bacteria in the stomach, or due to an imbalance of digestive fluids. For the other half, causes are diverse, not limited to genetic factors, severe psychological stress, lifestyle factors such as smoking, drugs, among others. Peptic ulcers can cause symptoms such as heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, weight loss, and more. There are three types of peptic ulcers:

• Duodenal ulcers- develop in the duodenum (small intestine)
• Esophageal ulcers- develop in the esophagus
• Gastric ulcers- develop in the stomach lining

Arterial ulcers
Also known as ischemic ulcers, arterial ulcers are open sores which mainly develop on the heels, toes, feet, and the outer side of the ankles. Arterial ulcers develop due to arterial damage due to a lack of blood flow to the tissue. Arterial ulcers sometimes take months to heal and need proper treatment for preventing severe infection and further complications. Arterial ulcers have many symptoms including a cool affected area due to lack of blood circulation, no bleeding, leg pain, hairless skin, and black, yellow, or red sores.

Venous ulcers
The most common kind of leg ulcers is venous ulcers. They are open wounds that often form on the inner area of the ankles, below the knee, or on the leg. They usually end up developing due to damage to the veins caused by a lack of blood flow back to the heart. While in some cases, venous ulcers can be extremely painful, there are other cases where they cause very little to no pain at all, unless they are infected. Other symptoms of venous ulcers include discharge, scabbing, itchy skin, swelling, and inflammation.

Mouth ulcers
Mouth ulcers are small lesions or sores which develop at the base of the gums or in the mouth. They are also usually known as canker sores. They’re caused by a number of factors including diseases, bacterial infections, vitamin deficiencies, hormonal changes, hard teeth brushing, food allergies and biting on the cheek insides. While mouth ulcers usually go away within two weeks, they can be extremely painful and uncomfortable.

Genital ulcers
These sores develop on genital areas, including anus, vagina, penis, or the surrounding areas. They are generally caused by STIs (sexually transmitted infections), but could also be caused due to allergic reactions to skin products, inflammatory diseases, and trauma.