Don’t Ignore That Stomach Pain—Here’s What You Need to Know About Peptic Ulcer Disease.

Peptic ulcer disease causes open sores in your stomach lining or duodenum (the top of your small intestine). The condition causes open sores – called ulcers – develop in the lining of your digestive tract. The prefix “peptic” denotes that it is related to digestion. Pepsin and stomach acid are your stomach’s active ingredients to chemically break down the food consumed so it can be digested. Some of these juices also pass into the first part of your small intestine (duodenum). By design, these juices are very corrosive.