What is Helicobacter pylori and what diseases does it cause?

Helicobacter pylori is a type of bacteria that lives in the stomach. It can cause ulcers, inflammation and other conditions in the lining of your stomach and duodenum (the first part of your small intestine). Most cases of Helicobacter pylori infection do not cause symptoms. If Helicobacter pylori causes symptoms, they usually occur within two weeks. You may feel that your stomach is upset or have a slight fever. Some people also experience nausea and vomiting, but this is not common. If you get sick with it, there are treatments that can help control or cure the infection.

Related tests and diseases for infection with Helicobacter pylori
● Gastroscopy
● Gastric ulcer
● C-13 urea breath test
● Functional gastritis
● Ménétrier’s disease
● Chronic gastric mucosal inflammation

What causes infection with Helicobacter pylori?

Helicobacter pylori is spread through contaminated food and water. It is also transmitted from person to person through contact with infected people. Transmission can happen if you share eating utensils, drinking glasses or toothbrushes with someone who has Helicobacter pylori in their stomach.

The bacteria can be transmitted through contaminated food or water swallowed by an infected person, even if they have no symptoms of illness at the time of consumption. In Third World countries with poor sanitation, children under the age of five are particularly susceptible to infection with Helicobacter pylori. This is because they often drink untreated or barely treated water contaminated with sewage-borne pathogens (pathogens found in faeces).

Is Helicobacter pylori dangerous?

Unfortunately, it is. Helicobacter pylori is a common cause of stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. It is estimated that half of all people who have Helicobacter pylori in their body will develop an ulcer at some point in their lives.

Helicobacter pylori can also cause gastritis, which can lead to bleeding or perforation (a hole) in the stomach wall. Both gastritis and bleeding have symptoms such as pain after eating or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food – but if left untreated, these conditions can become life-threatening.

Helicobacter pylori can also lead to several other health problems: gastric lymphoma (cancer), asthma-like symptoms such as wheezing or coughing during exercise, high blood pressure and other conditions related to autoimmune diseases.

Is Helicobacter pylori contagious?

You can get it through close contact with an infected person, such as kissing or sharing kitchen utensils. You can also get it by drinking contaminated water, but this is less common.

The infection is transmitted by eating food containing Helicobacter pylori bacteria, so you can prevent it by good hygiene practices in the kitchen and avoiding raw seafood or undercooked meat products that may contain the bacteria. If you are not sure whether a particular food contains Helicobacter pylori bacteria, ask your local health department for advice on handling the food safely before cooking or eating it yourself.

How long does Helicobacter culture take?

The result of the culture test usually takes 1-2 weeks. The sample is taken at a laboratory, and you will be contacted with the results.

Here are some things that may affect the duration of the test:
● If you have previously tested positive for Helicobacter pylori, the laboratory may not need to test you again – this can shorten the waiting time by several weeks or months.
● If you have recently had antibiotic treatment, this may also result in the laboratory having to re-run some tests on your sample before coming to a conclusion about whether or not you have a Helicobacter pylori infection (and which strain).

If you have been diagnosed with an ulcer, you may be asked to undergo further tests to confirm that it is caused by Helicobacter pylori. If your doctor has ordered blood tests, these take longer than a stool sample and so the waiting time may again be longer.

What are the symptoms of Helicobacter?

The symptoms of Helicobacter pylori are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss. Bleeding from the stomach may also occur with Helicobacter pylori infection.

You may experience heartburn due to gastric reflux. Stomach reflux is the backflow of acid from the stomach into the oesophagus. It is usually caused by eating too much food or lying down quickly after eating. You can also get gastric reflux if you have an enlarged oesophagus or a hiatus hernia.

If you have a gastric ulcer or an ulcer in the duodenum (upper intestine), it can cause bleeding during a bowel movement.

How to test for Helicobacter pylori?

There are several ways to test for this:
● A blood or stool test to look for antibodies to Helicobacter pylori.
● A breath test that detects evidence of the bacteria in your stomach after you drink something containing a urea breath test solution (Urea Breath Test). This is a non-invasive way to screen for Helicobacter pylori infection and can be done at home or in a doctor’s office, but it does not always accurately detect whether or not someone is infected with the bacteria.
● Gastroscopy – a procedure in which an endoscope is inserted through the mouth or nose into the stomach so doctors can see the inside of your digestive tract; can also be used to take biopsies of affected areas.

Treating infection

You may be prescribed antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor or H2 receptor antagonist. These drugs can cure your infection if you take them for long enough. You should also try to avoid foods and drinks that contain alcohol and caffeine, which can increase the risk of acid reflux and make it harder for your body to kill the bacteria.

You can have a liquid diet, which is easier to digest than solid food. This will help your digestion recover and speed up your recovery time.

Here are some tips and advice to stay healthy:

Follow your doctor’s advice. If you have been diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori, it is important that you follow the prescribed treatment. This may include antibiotics or other drugs, lifestyle changes (such as eating more fruit and vegetables), or procedures such as endoscopy.

Wash your hands regularly. Washing hands before eating can reduce the risk of infection by almost 50 per cent. Your immune system also needs to be strong to fight a Helicobacter pylori infection. Being physically active every day also helps make your immune system stronger, so it can fight infections like this better than if you don’t exercise regularly during any week of life!

Avoid raw or insufficiently cooked food. Eating raw or insufficiently cooked food, such as shellfish, can increase the risk of food-borne illness. The same goes for food handled by people who do not wash their hands thoroughly after going to the toilet or changing nappies.

Finally

If you are suffering from a Helicobacter pylori infection, it is important that you seek treatment. The bacterium can cause serious health problems if left untreated, and it can be difficult to treat if it has already caused damage to your stomach or other organs.

You can test for Helicobacter pylori bacteria using the Tester self-test.