Ulcers are sores that are slow to heal and sometimes reoccur. They can appear in many different parts of the body, from the stomach lining to the genital area. While peptic ulcers are the most common kinds of ulcers, there is a variety of ulcer types, and many are caused by underlying conditions. Treatment of ulcers depends on what causes them.
1. What is an ulcer?
An ulcer is a painful sore that is slow to heal and sometimes recurs. Ulcers aren’t uncommon. Why they appear and their corresponding symptoms typically depend on their underlying causes.
Ulcers can appear anywhere in or on your body, from the lining in your stomach to the outer layer of your skin.
Sometimes ulcers disappear on their own. Other times they require medical treatment to prevent serious complications.
2. The different types of ulcers
There are a few types of ulcers, including:
- Arterial ulcers: Arterial (ischemic) ulcers are open sores that primarily develop on the smaller side of arterioles and capillaries, most often around the outer side of your ankle, feet, toes, and heels. Arterial ulcers develop from damage to the arteries due to a lack of blood flow to the tissue. Arterial ulcers are also sometimes found in the gut in individuals who are ill and have poor blood pressure in general. These forms of ulcers can take months to heal and require proper treatment to prevent infection and further complications.
- Venous ulcers: Venous ulcers — the most common type of leg ulcers — are open wounds that often form on your leg, below your knee, and on the inner area of your ankle. They typically develop from damage to your veins caused by insufficient blood flow back to your heart. In some cases, venous ulcers cause little to no pain unless they’re infected. Other cases of this condition can be very painful.
- Mouth ulcers: Mouth ulcers are small sores or lesions that develop in your mouth or the base of your gums. They’re commonly known as canker sores.
These ulcers are triggered by a number of causesTrusted Source, including: stress, hormonal changes, vitamin deficiencies, bacterial infection, diseases.
- Genital ulcers: Genital ulcers are sores that develop on genital areas, including the penis, vagina, anus, or surrounding areas. They are usually caused by sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but genital ulcers can also be triggered by trauma, inflammatory diseases, or even, in some casesTrusted Source, an Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) infection.
3. Do ulcers go away?
Most ulcers, no matter where they are on the body, are caused by underlying issues. Therefore, the answer to “do ulcers go away?” is directly related to how effective the treatment is for the underlying health issue.
Some ulcers, like peptic and genital ulcers, will go away but then reappear, even with treatment. If you find yourself dealing with chronic ulcers and haven’t yet pinned down a cause, it’s important to talk with your doctor immediately.
4. How long does it take for ulcers to heal?
The length of time it takes for your ulcer to heal depends on the type, as well as the severity of the ulcer itself.
For many peptic ulcers, the healing time is around a month or so with treatment.
Arterial ulcers can take several months to heal, or may not even heal at all.
With compression therapy, venous ulcers can be healed in a few months, although some may not heal at all.
Mouth ulcers, or canker sores, can take anywhere from a week to 4 weeksTrusted Source to heal with treatment. However, many people have reoccurring mouth ulcers.
The amount of time it takes to heal genital ulcers really depends on what is causing them. For example, individuals living with genital herpes, which is a sexually transmitted disease, can treat their ulcers but cannot cure them, so they may periodically reappear.
Most ulcers will go away faster with the proper treatment.