What is Helicobacter pylori?
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that lives
in the lining of the stomach.
More than
half of the world’s population is infected with it and about 3 in every 10 adults
are estimated to carry it.
H. pylori causes inflammation of the stomach lining, known as gastritis. This leads to the stomach making more acid than
usual. This can cause open sores in the stomach (gastric ulcers),
or in the upper part of the small intestine (duodenal ulcers).
H. pylori is also linked to some types of stomach cancers.
What causes Helicobacter pylori?
It is not
fully understood how people get infected with H. pylori. Most people
become infected as children, but you can also be infected as an adult.
H. pylori is mostly transmitted through close contact with family members, or in day
care centres. It may be spread if infected people don’t wash their hands after
a bowel movement, or through kissing and other close contact. Better hygiene
has helped reduce H. pylori in
developing countries.
What are the symptoms of Helicobacter pylori
infection?
Most people with H. pylori infection don’t have
any symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include:
- a burning feeling in your upper stomach area
(like heartburn) —
which may change with eating
- indigestion or
full feeling before you have finished eating
- nausea and vomiting
- bloating and burping
- loss of appetite
When should I see my doctor?
If you vomit blood or notice dark blood in your stool (poo) go to the nearest hospital emergency department
or call triple zero (000). This may be a sign of a bleeding stomach ulcer.
See your doctor if you have ongoing symptoms or if you
have difficulty swallowing.
How is Helicobacter pylori diagnosed?
A range of
tests can be used to diagnose H. pylori including:
Your doctor
will advise the best test in your situation.
During a
breath test, you will be given a liquid or capsule to swallow that contains a
special form of carbon. After a short time, the doctor will ask you to breathe
into a machine, which can detect the presence of H. pylori bacteria.
This test is safe and accurate, and can help your doctor determine the best
treatment.
A blood test looks for antibodies to H. pylori. It can
still show positive results after treatment and the bacteria are gone, so it’s
not the best test for most people.
A laboratory can test your stool (poo) sample for proteins (antigens) from H. pylori.
An endoscopy is a procedure where a thin tube with a camera is
inserted through your mouth, to view your stomach. During an endoscopy, a small
piece of tissue or cells (biopsy)
can be taken to help diagnose H. pylori and other conditions. This may
be recommended when there is a family history of gastric cancer or certain
symptoms are present.
How is Helicobacter pylori treated?
H. pylori is treated with eradication therapy — a combination
of medicines that includes antibiotics
and acid-suppressing medicine. The antibiotics kill the H. pylori bacteria.
The acid-suppressing medicine helps heal stomach sores and reduces the chance
of new sores from developing.
After you’ve
finished treatment, you may be offered a breath test to check the medicines
worked. It is important to follow your doctor's instructions and finish the
full course of treatment to get rid of the infection.
Sometimes,
the first treatment doesn't work because the bacteria aren’t affected by the
antibiotics. This is known as antibiotic resistance. In this case, a specialist
doctor (gastroenterologist) may prescribe different medicines.
Once H. pylori
is successfully treated, your risk of getting infected again is low. Unless it
is successfully treated, H. pylori will usually stay in the lining of
your stomach for life.
Can Helicobacter pylori be prevented?
Most people
infected with H. pylori get it in early childhood, but there is limited
information on how to prevent it.
High-density
living, poor sanitation and poor hygiene all increase the risk of getting H.
pylori.
Complications of Helicobacter pylori
Nearly everyone who has H. pylori gets gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining). This leads to
increased stomach acid production. If you experience symptoms, it's known as H.
pylori-associated dyspepsia (indigestion).
Because your stomach produces
more acid than usual, you are more likely to
develop open sores in the stomach (gastric ulcers).If
these occur in the upper part of the small intestine they are known as duodenal ulcers.
H. pylori also increases the risk of certain stomach cancers.
Fortunately, treating and removing H. pylori infection heals most sores
and reduces the risk.
H. pylori infection leads to most cases of an uncommon disease
called gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. This is a slow-growingcancer that starts in the
stomach. If the H. pylori infection is successfully treated when the
lymphoma is in its early stages, it often shrinks and may even be cured.
Note:
Our clinic -HIPPOCRATES QUICK MED CLINIC- has the ability to diagnose and treat Helicobacter pylori. We have diagnosed and treated all of these patients and the microbe was successfully eradicated. It is good to check these patients once a year with a gastroscopy.
