H. pylori Bacteria


H. pylori Bacteria

H. pylori Bacteria

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria.

  • These germs can enter your body and live in your digestive tract.
  • After many years, they can cause sores, called ulcers, in the lining of your stomach or the upper part of your small intestine. For some people, an infection can lead to stomach cancer. This is H. pylori Bacteria

Infection with H. pylori is common.

  • About two-thirds of the world’s population has it in their bodies.
  •  For most people, don’t cause ulcers or other symptoms.
  • Some medicines can kill the germs and help sores heal if you have problems.
  • As more of the world get access to clean water and sanitation, fewer people than before are getting the bacteria.
  • You can protect yourself and your children from H. pylori with good health habits.

How H. pylori Make You Sick

  • For decades, doctors thought people got ulcers from stress, spicy foods, smoking, or other lifestyle habits.
  • But when scientists discovered H. pylori in 1982, they found that the germs were the cause of most stomach ulcers.
  • After H. pylori enter your body, it attacks the lining of your stomach, which usually protects you from the acid your body uses to digest food.
  • Once the bacteria have done enough damage, acid can get through the lining, which leads to ulcers. These may bleed, cause infections, or keep food from moving through your digestive tract.

You can get H. pylori from food, water, or utensils.

  • It’s more common in countries or communities that lack clean water or sound sewage systems.
  • You can also pick up the bacteria through contact with the saliva or other body fluids of infected people saliva or other body fluids.
  • Many people get H. pylori during childhood, but adults can get it, too.
  • The germs live in the body for years before symptoms start, but most people with it will never get ulcers.
  • Doctors aren’t sure why only some people get ulcers after an infection.

Symptoms

  • If you have an ulcer, you may feel a dull or burning pain in your belly.
  • It may come and go, but you’ll probably feel it most when your stomach is empty, such as between meals or in the middle of the night.
  • It can last for a few minutes or hours. You may feel better after you eat, drink milk, or take an antacid. These are the symptoms of h. pylori 

Other signs of an ulcer include:

  • Bloating
  • Burping
  • Not feeling hungry
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Weight loss for no apparent reason
  • Ulcers can bleed into your stomach or intestines, harming your health.
  • Get medical help right away if you have any of these symptoms:
    • Stool that is bloody, dark red, or black
    • Trouble breathing
    • Dizziness or fainting
    • Feeling very tired for no reason
    • Pale skin colour
    • Vomit that has blood or looks like coffee grounds
    • Severe, sharp stomach pain
  • It’s not common, but H. pylori infection can cause stomach cancer.
  • The disease has few symptoms at first, such as heartburn. Over time, you may notice:
    • Belly pain or swelling
    • Nausea
    • Not feeling hungry
    • Feeling full after you eat just a tiny amount
    • Vomiting
    • Weight loss for no reason
    • Getting a Diagnosis
  • If you don’t have symptoms of an ulcer, your doctor probably won’t test you for H. pylori. But if you have them or have them in the past, it’s best to get tried.
  • Medicines like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also damage your stomach lining, so it’s essential to find out what’s causing your symptoms to get the proper treatment.
  • To start, your doctor will ask about your medical history, symptoms, and any medicines you take.
  • Then, they’ll give you a physical exam, including pressing your belly to check for swelling, tenderness, or pain. You may also have:
    • Tests of your blood and stool can help find an infection.
    • Urea breath test. You’ll drink a special liquid that has a substance called urea. Then you’ll breathe into a bag, which your doctor will send to a lab for testing. If you have H. pylori, the bacteria will change the urea in your body into carbon dioxide, and lab tests will show that your breath has higher than average gas levels.

To look more closely at your ulcers, your doctor may use:

  • Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. In a hospital, a doctor will use a tube with a tiny camera, called an endoscope, to look down your throat, stomach, and the upper part of your small intestine.
  • The procedure may also be used to collect a sample that will be examined for the presence of the bacteria. You may be asleep or awake during the process, but you’ll get medicine to make you more comfortable.
  • Upper GI tests. In a hospital, you’ll drink a liquid that has a substance called barium, and your doctor will give you an X-ray.
  • The fluid coats your throat and stomach and makes them stand out clearly in the image.
  • Computed tomography (CT) scan. It’s a powerful X-ray that makes detailed pictures of the inside of your body.

If you have H. pylori, your doctor may also test you for stomach cancer. This includes:

Physical exam

  • Blood tests to check for anaemia when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. It could happen if you have a tumour that bleeds.
  • Faecal occult blood test, which checks your stool for blood that’s not visible to the naked eye
  • Endoscopy
  • A biopsy is when a doctor takes a small piece of tissue from your stomach to look for signs of cancer. Your doctor may do this during an endoscopy.
  • Tests that make detailed pictures of the insides of your body, such as a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Treatment for H. pylori

If you have ulcers caused by H. pylori, you’ll need treatment to kill the germs, heal your stomach lining, and keep the sores from returning. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks of treatment to get better.

Your doctor will probably tell you to take a few drugs. The options include:

  • Antibiotics to kill the bacteria in your body, such as amoxicillin, clarithromycin (Biaxin), metronidazole (Flagyl), tetracycline (Sumycin), or tinidazole (Tindamax). You’ll most likely take at least two from this group.
  • Drugs reduce the acid in your stomach by blocking the tiny pumps that produce it. They include dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex), or vonoprazan/amoxicillin/clarithromycin (Voquezna).
  • Bismuth subsalicylate, which may also help kill H. pylori along with your antibiotics
  • Medicines block the chemical histamine, prompting your stomach to make more acid.
  • These are cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine Pepcid, Zantac 360), and nizatidine (Axid).

Your treatment could mean you’ll take 14 or more pills per day daily pills for a few weeks, which seems like much medicine.

But it’s essential to take everything your doctor prescribes and follow their instructions. If you don’t take antibiotics correctly, bacteria in your body can become resistant to them, making infections harder to treat.

If your medications bother you, talk to your doctor about your treatment options and how you can handle side effects.

About 1-2 weeks after you finish your treatment, your doctor may test your breath or stool again to ensure the infection is gone.

Prevention

You can protect yourself from getting an H. pylori infection with the exact steps you take to keep other germs at bay:

  • Please wash your hands after foods don’t cause ulcers but can keep them from healing quickly or worsening your pain. Teach your children to do the same.
  • Avoid food or water that’s not clean.
  • Don’t eat anything that isn’t cooked thoroughly.

Avoid food served using the bathroom and preparing or eatingStress and spicy foods don’t cause ulcers, but they can keep them from healing quickly or worsening your pains, improve your diet, and, if you smoke, how you can get help to quit.

What can I expect after an H. pylori infection?

  • Most ulcers caused by H. pylori will heal after a few weeks of treatment.
  •  If you’ve had one, you should avoid taking NSAIDs for pain since these drugs can damage your stomach lining.
  • If you need pain medicine, ask your doctor to recommend some.

Living with H. pylori

  • Once you know you have H. pylori, follow up with your healthcare provider.
  • They will do some tests to ensure the bacteria have been removed.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

  • Call your healthcare provider if your symptoms worsen or you have new ones.
  • Call immediately if you have symptoms such as bloody vomit, blood in your stools, or black, tarry-looking stools. This is mainly about H. pylori Bacteria 

Key points

  • pylori is a type of bacteria that infects your stomach.
  • It attacks your stomach and the first part of your small intestine (duodenum). This can cause redness and swelling (inflammation).
  • Many people with the bacteria won’t have any symptoms.
  • It can cause open sores called peptic ulcers in your upper digestive tract.
  • It can cause stomach cancer.
  • It may be passed or spread from person to person by mouth, such as by kissing. It may also be given by direct contact with vomit or stool.
  • Having good health habits (hygiene) can help protect you. 

Next steps

Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider:

  • Before your visit, write down questions you want to be answered.
  • Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.
  • At the visit, write down the names of new medicines, treatments, or tests and any further instructions your provider gives you.
  • If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
  • Know how you can contact your provider if you have questions. This is all about H. pylori Bacteria 

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