Open sores on the skin or mucous membranes that heal slowly or recur. Painful lesions often caused by infection, stress, or digestive issues.
From Latin 'ulcus' meaning 'sore' or 'wound', related to Greek 'helkos' with the same meaning. The word has maintained its medical meaning virtually unchanged for over 2000 years.
For decades, doctors blamed stomach ulcers on stress and spicy food until Barry Marshall proved they're usually caused by bacteria. He was so confident he infected himself with H. pylori and cured himself with antibiotics - winning a Nobel Prize!
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