Discoveries: Top 10 Biggest Ocean in the World

 

The oceans and seas surrounding the continents offer a number of wonders, many of which are yet to be discovered by humans. The vast bodies of water that covers over 70% of the planet’s surface, holding around 1.35 billion cubic kilometres of water, has plateaus, valleys, plains, mountains, and trenches on its basin just as they are on the surface layer of the Earth.

And, interestingly, the underwater mountains, plains etc. are huge in size compared to those on the dry land.

The mountains that are situated on the ocean basin are higher than those we see on land, and similarly, the plains are flatter and so the trenches are much deeper.

Among all the features that oceans offer, it’s the very depth of these water bodies that makes them so enchanting. Indeed, the ocean is deep and the average depth of the oceans and seas surrounding the continents is around 3.5km.

In fact, the part of the ocean that is deeper than just 200 meters is considered to be the “deep sea.” However, some part of the oceans is going up to depths of several kilometres. But what is the deepest part of the ocean exactly?

Scientifically speaking, the deepest part of the ocean refers to the maximum depth of a point that can be accessed or defined. Every such deepest part of the ocean is referred to as deep trenches.

Known as the hadal zone, the very bottom of the deepest sea trench is a result of plunging trenches created by shifting tectonic plates.

Currently, there are 46 hadal habitats across the oceans and humans know very little about these regions since it’s very difficult to study these parts of the oceans. Here is a list of ten such points that mark the deepest points of oceans.

1. Mariana Trench

Located in the western Pacific Ocean, the Marina Trench is considered to be the deepest part of the Earth’s surface. In fact, it is the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench that is known as the deepest point.

Appears as a crescent-shaped scar, the trench measures around 2,550 km long, 69 km wide on average and has a maximum depth of 10.91 km at the Challenger Deep. At the same time, some other efforts measured the deepest portion at 11.034 km.

The deep holes in the Mariana trench were formed due to the collision of converging plates of oceanic lithosphere. During the collision, one plate descends into the mantle and the downward flexure forms a trough at the line of contact between the plates.

At the bottom of the Marina Trench, the density of water is increased by 4.96% due to the high pressure at the seabed. However, the expeditions conducted at various times have observed the presence of large creatures such as a flatfish, large shrimp, huge crustaceans and even an unidentified type of snailfish.

2. Tonga Trench

Located in the south-west Pacific Ocean and at the Kermadec Tonga Subduction Zone’s northern end, the Tonga Trench lies around 10.882 km below sea level. The deepest point in the Tonga trench, known as the Horizon Deep, considered to be the second deepest point on earth after the Challenger Deep and the deepest trench of the Southern Hemisphere.

Credits: wikipedia

Stretches at a distance of 2,500 km from New Zealand’s North Island northeast to the island of Tonga, the Tonga trench was formed due to the subduction of the Pacific plate by the Tonga plate.

Researchers have also found that these plate movements also cause large volcanoes in the Japan trench as well as the Mariana trench. According to marine scientists, the sediments of the Horizon Deep houses a community of roundworms.

3. Philippine Trench

Credits: wikipedia

The third deepest point in the world, the Galathea Depth in the Philippine trench is 10.54 km below sea level. Also known as Mindanao Trench, this submarine trench is located in the Philippine Sea, spreads in a length of 1,320km and 30km width in the east of Philippines.

Prominent among other trenches in the Philippine Sea, this trench was formed due to a collision between the Eurasian plate and the smaller Philippine plate. The other major trenches in the Philippine sea include Manila Trench East Luzon Trench, Negros Trench, Sulu Trench and Cotabato Trench.

It is said that the scientists considered the Philippine Trench as the planet’s deepest point until 1970. According to scientists, the Philippine trench is younger than 8-9 million years ago.

4. Kuril- Kamchatka Trench

Another deepest part of ocean belonging to the Pacific Ocean, this trench lies at a considerable depth of 10.5 km below sea level. Lying close to Kuril Island and off the coast of Kamchatka, this trench is responsible for a number of oceans bed volcanic activities in the region.

The trench was formed due to the subduction zone that was developed in the late Cretaceous, which created the Kuril island and the Kamchatka volcanic arcs.

5. Kermadec Trench

Another submarine trench lies on the floor of the South Pacific Ocean, the Kermadec Trench stretches around 1,000 km between the Louisville Seamount Chain and the Hikurangi Plateau.

Formed by the subduction of the Pacific plate under the Indo-Australian Plat, the Kermadec Trench has a maximum depth of 1o.04 km.

Along with the Tonga Trench to the north, the Kermadec Trench creates the 2,000 km-long, near-linear Kermadec-Tonga subduction system.

The trench is also home for a variety of species including a species of giant amphipod, measures approximately 34 cm in length, at the bottom of the trench. A few years ago, the Kermadec Trench was in news after the Nereus, an unmanned research submarine, imploded because of the high pressure at a depth of 9,990 meters while conducting explorations at the Kermadec Trench.

6. Izu-Ogasawara Trench

Located in the western Pacific Ocean, the Izu-Ogasawara Trench has a maximum depth of 9.78km. Also known as Izu-Bonin Trench, this deep trench stretches from Japan to the northern section of Mariana Trench and it is also an extension of the Japan Trench. Apart from the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, the western Pacific Ocean houses the Izu Trench and the Bonin Trench.

7. Japan Trench

Another deep submarine trench located east of the Japanese islands, Japan trench (as shown in image above) is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire in the northern Pacific Ocean. With a maximum depth of 9 km, the Japan trench stretches from the Kuril Islands to the Bonin Islands and is also the extension of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench and the Izu-Ogasawara Trench to the north and south respectively.

The trench was formed due to the subduction of the oceanic Pacific plate beneath the continental Okhotsk Plate. And, it’s the tsunamis and earthquakes that leads to the movement on the subduction zone with the Japan Trench.

8. Puerto Rico Trench

Located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the Puerto Rico trench marks the deepest point in this region and the eighth deepest point found on the earth’s surface.

Lies at a depth of 8.64 km, spotted at Milwaukee Deep and measures a length of over 800 km, this trench has been responsible for many tragic tsunamis and earthquake activities in this region.

Efforts for complete mapping of this trench have been undergoing on for a quite long time now. It was the French bathyscaphe Archimède who first attempted to explore the seafloor in 1964 and a robotic vehicle was sent to the trench in 2012 to study the characteristics of the trench.

9. South Sandwich Trench

The deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean after Puerto Rico Trench, South Sandwich Trench is at a depth of about 8.42 km, described as Meteor Deep and runs for over 956 km, making it one of the most noticeable trenches of the world.

Credits: wikipedia

Located 100 km to the east of the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean, this trench was formed by the subduction of the South American Plate’s southernmost portion beneath the small South Sandwich Plate. This South Sandwich Trench is also associated with an active volcanic arc.

10. Peru–Chile Trench

The Peru–Chile Trench (the Atacama Trench) is located around 160 km off the coast of Peru and Chile in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Atacama Trench has a maximum depth of 8.06 km below sea level. The deepest point of the trench is known as Richards Deep.

The trench measures around 5,900 km in length and 64 km in mean width while it covers an area of about 590,000 square kilometres. The Atacama Trench was formed as a result of a convergent boundary, between the subducting Nazca and the South American Plates.

Disclaimer: The authors’ views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Discoveries For You. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Discoveries for you do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader.

The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any form without the permission of the author and Discoveries For You

Check Out The Most Expensive Cars in the World

 

1. Rolls Royce Sweptail

Price: $13 Million

Dominating the top spot on our list of the most expensive cars is what can only be described as one stunning piece of handcrafted magic.

A powerhouse of automotive design and engineering, the Rolls-Royce Sweptail is a one-off luxury peace made in the United Kingdom by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Commissioned in 2013 for a super-yacht and aircraft specialist, who’s identity Rolls-Royce does not divulge.

The Sweptail made its debut as the most expensive new car in the world at the yearly Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este event in 2017.

It surpassed all its rivals and remains the most expensive car ever sold.

2. Mercedes Benz Maybach Exelero

Price: $8 million

In second place on our list of most expensive cars is the Maybach Exelero from Mercedes Benz.

Despite its peculiar looks, it’s one hell of a high-performance four-seater sports car with V12 twin-turbo engine.

It was commissioned by a German subsidiary of Goodyear, Fulda, to test their new Carat Exelero tire range.

The Exelero featured in one of Jay-Z‘s music videos and was purchased by rapper Birdman according to Top Gear.

It has an impressive top speed of 213 mph.

3. Bugatti Divo

Price: $5.8 million

The Bugatti Divo is a mid-engine sports car developed with a track-focused approach and manufactured by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.

It was named after French racing driver Albert Divo, who won the Targa Florio race twice in the 1920s for Bugatti.

According to Bugatti, the DIVO is the most agile and dynamic car they’ve ever created.

Limited to 40 units, the car was pre-sold before the public debut to Chiron owners through special invitation by the dealers. It sold out in its first day of availability.

Top speed – a reduced 236 mph!

4. Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita

Price: $4.8 million

Intended to be limited to only three units, the CCXR Trevita cost so much to manufacture, Koenigsegg decided to make the car even more exclusive and limit the number to just two.

Some of its features include a diamond weave carbon fibre finish, a unique double carbon rear wing, inconell exhaust system, carbon ceramic brakes with ABS and a tire monitoring system.

The car featured above is from Floyd Mayweather’s own personal collection.

It has a top speed of 254 mph!

5. Lamborghini Veneno Roadster

Price: $4.5 million

Lamborghini’s poisonous Veneno starts the top five countdown.

Veneno means venom or poison in Spanish and the car certainly gives off a deadly presence.

Based on the Aventador, the Veneno was created to celebrate Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary and was introduced at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

It can reach 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and its price tag makes it one of the most expensive production cars in the world!

6. McLaren P1 LM

Price: $3.6 million

The McLaren P1 LM is more or less a street legal version of the track-only McLaren P1 GTR. Lanzante, a British firm, bought the original P1 and converted it for sale.

Six LMs were made in total. Five were sold to private buyers and the sixth, codenamed ‘XP1 LM,’ the prototype P1 LM, is now being used for development and testing purposes.

The P1 LM features a larger twin-turbocharged V8 engine than the P1 and P1 GTR and reaches a limited top speed of 214 mph!

With a price tag of $3.6 million, the P1 LM is the 6th most expensive car in the world.

7. Lykan Hypersport

Price: $3.4 million

Wow… just Wow! Look at it!

Words can’t even describe how nice this is.

It’s the product of W Motors, a Lebanese motor company that collaborated with both Lebanese and Italian engineers.

The HyperSport was the first car in the world to have headlights encrusted with diamonds (15cts).

Buyers also had the choice of rubies, yellow diamonds, and sapphires.

The twin-turbo mid-rear mounted 3.8-litre engine produces 780 horsepower and 708 pound-feet of torque.

All that power means the car can reach speeds of up to 240 mph!

8. Bugatti Veyron by Mansory Vivere

Price: $3.3 million

What a beauty!

The limited edition Bugatti Veyron Mansory Vivere is just gorgeous.

The car was modelled on the Grand Sports Vitesse Roadster and has an 8.0 L W16 engine that produces 1,200 hp.

It’s one of the fastest cars in the world and the original version was named the Car of the Decade 2000-2009.

Reaching a top speed of 253 mph, it holds firm at number 8 on our list of most expensive cars.

9. Aston Martin Valkyrie

Price: $3.2 million

The first car on our list that’s the result of a collaboration between different manufacturers.

British automobile manufacturer Aston Martin, teamed up with Red Bull Racing and several other manufacturers to create this beast!

Developed as a track oriented road car, it now holds the title of the fastest street-legal car in the world.

It houses a 6.5-litre aspirated V12 engine tailored by Cosworth and has a power output of 1,130 hp!

Only 150 road cars have been made.

10. Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio

Price: $3 million

Breaking into the top ten is the Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio, one of the most expensive cars on the list.

Introduced as a concept car in 2013, the Pininfarina Sergio was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva motor show.

It was a tribute to the former chairman of the company and Sergio Pininfarina, the legendary automotive designer who died just a year before.

The design was based on the Ferrari 458 Spider. Only six were made and all sold to a group of high net worth individuals.

11. Pagani Huayra BC

Price: $2.8 million

One of the most expensive cars ever designed, the Pagani Huayra BC is truly an epic automotive accomplishment.

Inspired by the Zonda R, and featuring sideways opening doors, Pagani has also increased the power, revised the chassis and brakes, and included a new 7-speed transverse gearbox.

It gets its name from one of Pagani’s original investors, Benny Caiola, who was also the first Pagani customer and friend of the founder.

With a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, it’s easy to see how this supercar is able to get up to speeds of 261 mph!

12. Bugatti Chiron

Price: $2.7 million

The Bugatti Chiron is a mid-engine supercar manufactured by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.

First unveiled at the Geneva motor show in 2016, buyers were required to put down a $200,000 deposit. The first 200 units sold out before the first delivery of the car.

The Chirons speed is electronically limited to 261 mph, or 233–236 mph without the key.

However, its speculated that its actual top speed could be as much as 281 mph!

Here’s a quick recap of the most expensive cars in the world:

1. Rolls Royce Sweptail  – $13 Million
2. Mercedes Benz Maybach Exelero – $8.0 million
3. Bugatti Divo – $5.8 million
4. Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita – $4.8 million
5. Lamborghini Veneno Roadster – $4.5 million
6. McLaren P1 LM – $3.6 million
7. Lykan Hypersport – $3.4 million
8. Bugatti Veyron by Masory Vivere – $3.3 million
9. Aston Martin Valkyrie – $3.2 million
10. Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio – $3 million
11. Pagani Huayra BC – $2.8 million
12. Bugatti Chiron – $2.7 million
13. La Ferrari FXX K – $2.7 million
14. Mercedes-AMG One – $2.5 million
15. Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta – $2.4 million
16. Lamborghini Sesto Elemento – $2.2 million
17. Koenigsegg One – $2 million
18. Zenvo TS1 GT — $1.9 million
19. Ferrari LaFerrari – $1.4 million
20. McLaren P1 – $1.15 million

Best 10 Swimmers In History

 Every four years when the Olympics rolls around, one of the most eagerly anticipated, talked-about disciplines is swimming.

At Discoveries for you, we love the thrill of watching events unfold in the pool, and have also helped many swimmers to raise money through sports crowdfunding.

In this blog, we try to answer an age-old question among swimming fans: “Who are the best swimmers in history?”.

Here’s our countdown, Enjoy!

10. Janet Evans

Evans’ strong suit was long distance swimming and had several world records to her name throughout her career.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, she set a record in the 400m freestyle which stood for eighteen years until Laure Manaudou broke it in 2006. In Seoul, Janet captured gold in the 400m medley as well as the 800m freestyle, which she defended successfully four years later in Barcelona, in the process becoming the first female swimmer to win back-to-back Olympic golds in any event.

The winner of five Olympic medals (4 golds and 1 silver), Evans carried the torch in its last stretch and handed it over to Muhammad Ali during the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

9. Kristin Otto

Kristin Otto

A fractured vertebra in 1985 meant Otto would have a tough battle to the top, but the German overcame any challenge in her way to arrive at the 1988 Seoul Olympics as one of the best swimmers in the world.

All six of her Olympic medals were golds from the 1988 Games, and in doing so, she became the first female to win six golds at a single edition of the Olympics.

Otto also set new world records in each of the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly events, before retiring from swimming in 1989.

8. Ryan Lochte

Despite acting a complete fool at the Rio 2016 games and getting himself into hot water with the American press, there is no disputing Lochte is among the best swimmers in history.

The current holder of world records in each of the 100-metre, 200-metre and 400-metre individual medleys, Lochte gave stiff competition to fellow American Michael Phelps throughout their peak years in the sport.

His seven individual Olympic medals place him second in the history of men’s swimming, ahead of Zoltan Halmay and Mark Spitz’s six.

Now 33, Lochte has a magnificent collection of 12 Olympic medals (6 Golds, 3 silver and 3 bronze).

7. Amy Van Dyken

Amy Van Dyken

For Van Dyken, what began as a way to battle severe asthma culminated in six gold medals across two Olympic Games.

In Atlanta 1996, Amy took the crown in the 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley to become the first American female to take home such a tally from a single Olympics.

Having emerged as the most successful athlete in Atlanta, she returned to defend both of her team titles in Sydney 2000. Tied with German Kristin Otto as the second best female swimmer in Olympic history, Amy’s stats are behind only Jenny Thompson’s eight golds, none of which were won in an individual event.

6. Natalie Coughlin

With 12 Olympic medals, Coughlin is tied with fellow swimmers Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson for the top spot of most-decorated female American Olympians.

In Beijing 2008, Natalie became the first woman to defend the 10 m backstroke title at the Olympic Games after her earlier victory at the same event in Athens 2004. Also in 2008, she equalled the women’s Olympic record of winning the highest number of medals (6) in a single Games.

With a 4×100 m freestyle bronze in London 2012, Natalie finally had 3 golds, 4 silvers and 5 bronze medals to show for her glittering Olympic career.

5. Dara Torres

Dara Torres

Torres staged her comeback after seven years away from the sport in Sydney 2000 and walked away from the International Aquatic Centre with two golds and three bronze medals to her name.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the then 41-year-old smashed a century old record held by Britain’s William Robinson to become the oldest swimmer to win a medal at the Games. In each of the three events that she featured in, namely the 50m freestyle, 4×100m medley relay and 4×100m freestyle relay, Dara defied the odds of age to secure a hard-fought silver for her team and herself.

A unique aspect of her outstanding tally of twelve Olympic medals (4 of each colour – gold, silver and bronze) is that she has won at least one medal in every single Games that she’d been a part of, in 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 and 2008.

We answer the age old question of

4. Ian Thorpe

Australia’s most decorated Olympian Ian Thorpe provided the home audience with plenty to cheer for as he became the most successful athlete in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Nicknamed ‘The Thorpedo’ for his blinding speed, the specialist in freestyle swimming captured 3 golds and 2 silvers in Sydney and went on to add 4 more medals, 2 of which were freestyle golds, to his cabinet at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The dominance that he exercised in the competitive arena in his favourite discipline for six years till his break after the Athens edition was a rare feat at the Olympic level.

Although his career was cut short due to illness in 2006, Ian Thorpe had, by then, established himself as one of the greatest ever swimmers in the history of Olympics.

3. Matt Biondi

Matt Biondi

A member of the Swimming Hall of Fame and an Olympic legend, Biondi went to Seoul in 1988 with all guns blazing and steamrolled his competitors to clinch 7 straight medals, 5 of which were golds, creating four new world records in the process.

Known as the California Condor for his huge wing span, it was anticipated that Matt would surpass or equal Mark Spitz’s 7-gold haul in Seoul but that was not the case.

Two more team golds and an individual freestyle silver in Barcelona in 1992, Matt retired shortly after the Games with a spectacular count of 11 Olympic medals from three editions (8 golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronze).

2. Mark Spitz

The majestic feat of seven straight golds at a single Olympics that Mark Spitz achieved in 1972 in Munich took 36 years to be repeated and bettered, and the man who did it was none other than Michel Phelps at Beijing 2008.

Living up to the immense hype that had surrounded him ahead of the 1972 Games, ‘Mark the Shark’ swept the swimming events in Munich, setting a new world record in all seven of his conquered races – a record that has not been paralleled since.

Although his attempt to resurface in Olympic swimming in 1992 at the age of 41 didn’t yield any medals, Spitz goes down in history as a legend who won 11 medals, nine of them being golds, which makes him one of the only five Olympians to have won 9 or more gold medals at the Games.

1. Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps

When it comes to recounting the accomplishments of uncontested GOAT Michael Phelps at the Olympic Games, finding sufficient words is a challenge in itself. In Sydney 2000, being a member of the swimming powerhouse United States team at the age of 15 happened to be the first of a plethora of records that he was about to set.

Chasing Mark Spitz’s 1972 Munich tally of seven straight golds, Phelps contested eight different events in Athens 2004 but fell short by one, largely attributed to his third-place finish behind Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband in what was touted as the Race of the Century in the 200-metre freestyle.

Taking home 6 golds and 2 bronze medals, he became the most successful athlete in Athens – a feat he would then repeat in Beijing 2008 as well as in London 2012.

Phelps didn’t just cruise to his eight golds in 2008 – he did so by creating 7 fresh world records and 1 Olympic record in Beijing. The following Games, in London, the Baltimore native upstaged Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina to emerge as the most decorated Olympian ever.

He initially retired after his 4th Olympics, however, Phelps came out of retirement for the Rio 2016 Olympics and would go on to win five more golds and a silver medal, leaving him to officially bow out of the sport once and for all with an incredible 28 Olympic medals to his name (23 golds, 3 silver, 2 bronze).

Discover About What You Need To Know About Ulcers

 What is a stomach ulcer?

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Stomach ulcers, which are also known as gastric ulcers, are painful sores in the stomach lining. Stomach ulcers are a type of peptic ulcer disease. Peptic ulcers are any ulcers that affect both the stomach and small intestines.

Stomach ulcers occur when the thick layer of mucus that protects your stomach from digestive juices is reduced. This allows the digestive acids to eat away at the tissues that line the stomach, causing an ulcer.

Stomach ulcers may be easily cured, but they can become severe without proper treatment.

What causes stomach ulcers?

Stomach ulcers are almost always caused by one of the following:

• an infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
• long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen

Rarely, a condition known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome can cause stomach and intestinal ulcers by increasing the body’s production of acid. This syndrome is suspected to cause less than 1 percent of all peptic ulcers.

Symptoms of stomach ulcers

A number of symptoms are associated with stomach ulcers. The severity of the symptoms depends on the severity of the ulcer.

The most common symptom is a burning sensation or pain in the middle of your abdomen between your chest and belly button. Typically, the pain will be more intense when your stomach is empty, and it can last for a few minutes to several hours.

Other common signs and symptoms of ulcers include:

• dull pain in the stomach
• weight loss
• not wanting to eat because of pain
• nausea or vomiting
• bloating
• feeling easily full
• burping or acid reflux
• heartburn, which is a burning sensation in the chest)
• pain that may improve when you eat, drink, or take antacids
• anemia, whose symptoms can include tiredness, shortness of breath, or paler skin
• dark, tarry stools
• vomit that’s bloody or looks like coffee grounds

Talk to your doctor if you have any symptoms of a stomach ulcer. Even though discomfort may be mild, ulcers can worsen if they aren’t treated. Bleeding ulcers can become life-threatening.

How are stomach ulcers diagnosed?

Diagnosis and treatment will depend on your symptoms and the severity of your ulcer. To diagnose a stomach ulcer, your doctor will review your medical history along with your symptoms and any prescription or over-the-counter medications you’re taking.

To rule out H. pylori infection, a blood, stool, or breath test may be ordered. With a breath test, you’ll be instructed to drink a clear liquid and breathe into a bag, which is then sealed. If H. pylori is present, the breath sample will contain higher-than-normal levels of carbon dioxide.

Other tests and procedures used to diagnose stomach ulcers include:

• Barium swallow: You drink a thick white liquid (barium) that coats your upper gastrointestinal tract and helps your doctor see your stomach and small intestine on X-rays.
• Endoscopy (EGD): A thin, lighted tube is inserted through your mouth and into the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. This test is used to look for ulcers, bleeding, and any tissue that looks abnormal.
• Endoscopic biopsy: A piece of stomach tissue is removed so it can be analyzed in a lab.

Explore the interactive 3-D diagram below to learn more about stomach ulcers.

Treating stomach ulcers

Treatment will vary depending on the cause of your ulcer. Most ulcers can be treated with a prescription from your doctor, but in rare cases, surgery may be required.

It’s important to promptly treat an ulcer. Talk to your doctor to discuss a treatment plan. If you have an actively bleeding ulcer, you’ll likely be hospitalized for intensive treatment with endoscopy and IV ulcer medications. You may also require a blood transfusion.

Nonsurgical treatment

If your stomach ulcer is the result of H. pylori, you’ll need antibiotics and drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). PPIs block the stomach cells that produce acid.

In addition to these treatments, your doctor may also recommend:

• H2 receptor blockers (drugs that also block acid production)
• stopping use of all NSAIDs
• follow-up endoscopy
• probiotics (useful bacteria that may have a role in killing off H. pylori)
• bismuth supplement

Symptoms of an ulcer may subside quickly with treatment. But even if your symptoms disappear, you should continue to take any medication prescribed by your doctor. This is especially important with H. pylori infections, to make sure that all bacteria are eliminated.

Side effects of medications used to treat stomach ulcers can include:

• nausea
• dizziness
• headaches
• diarrhea
• abdominal pain

These side effects are typically temporary. If any of these side effects cause extreme discomfort, talk to your doctor about changing your medication.

Surgical treatment

In very rare cases, a complicated stomach ulcer will require surgery. This may be the case for ulcers that:

• continue to return
• don’t heal
• bleed
• tear through the stomach
• keep food from flowing out of the stomach into the small intestine

Surgery may include:

• removal of the entire ulcer
• taking tissue from another part of the intestines and patching it over the ulcer site
• tying off a bleeding artery
• cutting off the nerve supply to the stomach to reduce the production of stomach acid

Healthful diet

In the past, it was thought that diet could cause ulcers. We know now this isn’t true. We also know that while the foods you eat won’t cause or cure a stomach ulcer, eating a healthful diet can benefit your intestinal tract and overall health.

In general, it’s a good idea to eat a diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and fiber.

That said, it’s possible that some foods play a role in eliminating H. pylori. Foods that may help fight off H. pylori or boost the body’s own healthy bacteria include:

• broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and radishes
• leafy greens, such as spinach and kale
• probiotic-rich foods, such as sauerkraut, miso, kombucha, yogurt (especially with lactobacillus and Sacharomyces)
• apples
• blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries
• olive oil

Additionally, since people with stomach ulcers may have accompanying acid reflux disease, it is a good idea to stay away from spicy and sour foods while an ulcer is healing.

Home remedies for stomach ulcers

In addition to eating healthy foods, the following items may help reduce the effects of H. pylori, the bacteria responsible for many stomach ulcers. However, these supplements are not intended to replace prescription medication or your current treatment plan. They include:

• probiotics
• honey
• glutamine (food sources include chicken, fish, eggs, spinach, and cabbage)

Your doctor may also have suggestions for things you can do at home to relieve discomfort from your ulcer. Consider talking to your doctor about these natural and home remedies for ulcers.

When should you call or see a doctor?

If you think you have a stomach ulcer, call your doctor. Together you can discuss your symptoms and treatment options. If you don’t already have a physician, you can use the Healthline FindCare tool to find a provider near you.

It’s important to get a stomach ulcer taken care of because without treatment, ulcers and H. pylori can cause:

• bleeding from the ulcer site that can become life-threatening
• penetration, which occurs when the ulcer goes through the wall of the digestive tract and into another organ, such as the pancreas
• perforation, which occurs when the ulcer creates a hole in the wall of the digestive tract
• obstruction (blockage) in the digestive tract, which is due to swelling of inflamed tissues
• stomach cancer, specifically non-cardia gastric cancerTrusted Source

Symptoms of these complications can include those listed below. If you have any of these symptoms, be sure to call you doctor right away:

• weakness
• trouble breathing
• red or black vomit or stools
• sudden, sharp pain in your abdomen that doesn’t go away

Prevention of stomach ulcers

To prevent the spread of bacteria that might cause a stomach ulcer, wash your hands with soap and water on a regular basis. Also, be sure to properly clean all of your food and to cook it thoroughly as needed.

To prevent ulcers caused by NSAIDs, stop using these medications (if possible) or limit their use. If you need to take NSAIDs, be sure to follow the recommended dosage and avoid alcohol while taking these medications. And always take these medications with food and adequate liquids.

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Stomach cancer versus stomach ulcer: what you need to know

Stomach cancer and Stomach ulcer are two distinct conditions that affect the same organ, the stomach. While some of the symptoms associated with these conditions are similar, there are a few that are quite different. But before we discuss these similarities and differences, let’s take a quick look at what Stomach Ulcer and Stomach cancer are.

What is Stomach Cancer?

Stomach cancer is a unique type of cancer that originates from the stomach. The most common type of stomach cancer is adenocarcinoma, which develops from the innermost lining of the stomach (the mucosa). The cancerous growth spreads through the lining of the stomach wall and from there it moves to the organs closest to it (Spleen and pancreas) and the lymph nodes. It is equally capable of spreading through the entire lymph system and getting as far as organs like the liver, bones, and lungs.

What is Peptic Ulcer or Stomach Ulcer?

This is usually an open sore in the upper of the digestive tract. Stomach ulcer is mostly of two types; gastric ulcer, which is formed in the lining of the stomach, and duodenal ulcer, which is formed in the upper part of the intestine.

STOMACH CANCER VS STOMACH ULCER, SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Stomach Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Early symptoms of stomach cancer are not definitive and are most times vague. However, you need to seek medical help if you notice that you exhibit any of the symptoms enumerated below.

• A feeling of satisfaction after consuming a small quantity if food.
• Mild upper abdominal discomfort associated with loss of appetite and nausea.
• Difficulty swallowing food because if a tumor in the upper part of the stomach close to the esophagus.

The symptoms below, however, may indicate advanced cancer.

• Iron deficiency anemia.
• Severe nausea and vomiting-a late stage symptom brought about by the blockage of the stomach drainage by the enlarging cancer.
• Chronic weight loss
• Constant fatigue
• Overt Blood loss-vomiting blood or a substance that looks like coffee grounds.
• Passing out black stool.

Gastric and Duodenal Ulcer Signs and Symptoms   

Stomach ulcers do not usually cause symptoms. Sudden bleeding or bad upper abdominal pain is the first indication of stomach ulcer. The most common symptom of gastric ulcer is abdominal pain. Others include stomach ulcer pain:

• Usually in the mid part of the abdomen, a little above the navel and below the breast bone
• That feels like burning or gnawing that may go all the way to the back.
• Often severe late in the night or in the early hours of the morning.
• Often comes several hours after meals when the stomach was previously empty.
• That can last a few minutes or several long hours.
• That may be relieved by food, vomiting, and antacid.

Nausea, Vomiting, loss of appetite and weight are also subtle signs of stomach ulcer. Severe ulcer on the other hand reveals itself through bleeding in the duodenum or stomach. The bleeding may be fast or slow. Fast bleeding may manifest itself in one of two ways:

1. Blood in stool or black, sticky looking stools.
2. Vomiting of blood or substance that looks exactly like coffee grounds. This, unlike other symptoms is an emergency and must be treated with utmost urgency in the emergency department of a hospital.

Slow bleeding is difficult to detect and may not have dramatic symptoms like those associated with fast bleeding.

• Slow bleeding may lead to anemia (low blood cell count)
• Symptoms of anemia such as fatigue, lethargy, weakness, rapid heartbeat and pallor (pale skin).

CAUSES OF STOMACH CANCER VS STOMACH ULCER

Stomach Cancer Causes

Stomach cancer is currently the second largest cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Possible causes of stomach cancer include:

• Old age (not all cases).
• Tobacco consumption (cigarette smoking).
• History of pernicious anemia (severe progressive disease brought about by the inability of the body to absorb vitamin B-12)
• Family history of stomach cancer is a risk factor in the disease.
• People with blood type A are prone to having stomach cancer.
• Having steady diets that are deficient in vegetables, fresh fruits and are rich in salted or smoked fish or meat and poorly preserved foods.
• Recent studies have associated stomach cancer with people who are chronically infected with Helicobacter pylori, a common cause of gastritis and peptic ulcer.
• Stomach cancer is also prevalent among male folks.

Stomach Ulcer Causes

In the past, it was believed that stomach ulcer was caused by poor eating habits, cigarette smoking and accumulated stress. Now, it is understood that people with ulcers tend to have an imbalance between acid and pepsin coupled with the inability of the digestive tract to deal with harsh substances in the stomach like hydrochloric acid. This acid together with pepsin help in the digestion of the food we eat. Partial digestion of food occurs in the stomach before being transferred to the duodenum for further digestion. Peptic ulcers occur when hydrochloric acid alongside enzyme pepsin overcome the defense mechanism of the gastrointestinal tract and goes further to damage the wall of mucosa.

Results of the researches conducted in the 1980s show that stomach ulcer can be caused by bacterial infection (Helicobacter pylori, H pylori). This, however, does not mean that everyone who has ulcer is infected with H pylori. Regular intake of aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs can also cause peptic ulcers. The following factors and substances can equally cause stomach cancer.

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Cigarette
• Radiation therapy used for cancer treatment.
• Stress and physical injuries (burns or major surgery)
• Elderly people with arthritis are especially vulnerable to stomach ulcer

If you take these medications such aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs regularly, it is important to discuss other alternatives with your health care provider. It is even more pressing if heart burn or stomach upset is a side effect of using such drugs.

Stomach Ulcer Spread by Feces

H pylori bacteria which have been found to be one of the causes of peptic ulcer can spread through the stool of an infected person. In settlements and environments where hygiene is extremely poor, this stool is capable of contaminating food and water as well. When these are ingested, the H pylori bacteria find its way into the digestive tract of the individual. This is known as fecal-oral transmission. The bacteria are located in the stomach where they can easily destroy its lining and that of the duodenum. People who are newly infected with the bacteria begin to exhibit symptoms few weeks after being infected.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OF STOMACH CANCER?

• If you have burning sensations in the upper region of your stomach that can be relieved by eating or taking antacids ensure that you pay a visit to your health care provider for proper examination. Never conclude on your own that you have ulcer as many other conditions trigger similar symptoms.
• Peptic ulcers may cause severe bleeding which may need blood transfusion or surgery. If you notice that you vomit blood or have other signs of gastro-intestinal bleeding, go immediately to the emergency unit of your hospital.
• Severe pain in the abdomen can also be an indication of perforation or tearing of an ulcer. This condition may also require surgery to fix the hole in your stomach.
• Abdominal pain and vomiting could equally be a sign of obstruction, a peptic ulcer symptom that may require surgery.