H. Pylori and the Stomach

H. pylori infection, is a bacterial infection of the stomach or your small intestine. The full name is Helicobacter Pylori.

This infection is common in many people. It is usually asymptomatic, and doesn't cause any real life-threatening problems. There are some people, however, that this bacterium causes many problems for. It can lead to various types of ulcers or cancer in the stomach.

If symptoms do arise from H. Pylori, they are commonly things such as:

1. Abdominal burning or stomach pains

2. Throwing up

3. Upset stomach

4. Unexplained weight loss

5. Feeling bloated

6. A lot of burping

If you are having these symptoms, you need to see your physician to check for H. pylori infection.

There are other symptoms which indicate a more serious problem as well. These symptoms are things like:

1. Ab pain is very severe

2. Trouble with swallowing

3. Bloody stools

4. Your vomit resembles coffee grounds

It is not hard for the H. pylori bacterium to spread, so yes, it is contagious. If you have contact with infected water, fecal matter, or saliva, this is how it can start.

Once the bacterium enters your mouth, the stomach acids and the bacterium are having a war with one another. This can create even more bacterial germs.

Children are more commonly affected by H. pylori than adults.

What causes this infection in the first place is:

1. Living around several other people who aren't careful about the spread of germs.

2. The water isn't hot enough to kill germs from dishes.

3. Other countries that are not sanitary at all have a lot of H. Pylori traveling around all over the place.

4. If you are caring for someone or living with someone that has H. pylori, you are very likely to get it too unless you are extremely careful and don't touch their items after they have when infected.

If a person becomes very ill from H. pylori infection, there is sometimes many health problems that can arise from having the bacterium. They might have things such as:

1. Open stomach lesions

2. Stomach inflammations

3. Cancers of the stomach-this risk factor can be very high with H.pylori in some people. Stomach cancer types are usually adenocarcinomas which are very difficult to treat effectively and cure.

When seeing a doctor for a suspected H. pylori infection that won't go away, he or she will first do a blood test. The blood test is usually very likely to point out an H.-pylori type of infection.

There is also a test the doctor will want to conduct that uses a radioactive carbon. You drink this solution which will contain these carbon molecules in it. The solution is metabolized in the stomach, and the body absorbs it. You then will breathe out into a bag, and your doctor then will use a special testing tool to find the carbon.

Stool tests reveal bleeding and other problems. It also gives the picture of whether or not you have H.pylori infection.

If H. Pylori infection is found, you will be on a mix of medications to treat it and cure the problem. The medicines will involve antibiotics, and antacids to control acid productions in the stomach.

Follow-up treatment should show that the H.pylori treatment was successful. If not, you will likely have another round of treatment with antibiotics and antacids.