• Infected with the H. pylori bacterium
• Excessive drinking of alcohol
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Age 50 or older
• NSAIDs use such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen
• Family history of ulcers
• Radiation treatment to the area
• Another serious illness such as liver, kidney, or lung disease
• Excess acid production from gastrinomas, tumors (seen in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome)