If you develop anH.
pyloriinfection, you may not have any signs or symptoms.
But it can lead to peptic ulcers, gastritis, and even certaintypes of stomach cancer.
Up until the discovery ofH.
It is now understood thatH.
pyloribacteria cause up to 80 percent of gastric ulcers.
pyloriinfection is passed from person to person.
Research shows that you could become infected with the bacteria by consuming contaminated food or water.H.
pylorimay also spread through contact with an infected persons saliva, vomit, or fecal matter.
[2]
How Is H. Pylori Diagnosed?
Then they might recommend one or more of these tests to identify the bacteria.
[4]
Blood Test
Should You Get Screened for H. Pylori?
In places where the risk of gettingH.
But theres a debate in the medical community over whether this degree of screening is beneficial.
Prognosis of H. Pylori
Many people withH.
pyloridont experience any symptoms of the illness and never even know they have the infection.
If you do have symptoms or develop complications, treatment is usually successful.H.
pyloriinfection can often be cured with treatment consisting of antibiotics and acid-reducing medications.
Medication Options
Antibiotics
Usually, youll need two or more antibiotics at once to treat the infection.
This helps prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant to one drug.
Some antibiotics are commonly prescribed forH.
pylori:
Acid-Reducing Drugs
While these medications will not eradicateH.
Pylori, they may reduce the amount of acid in your stomach and thesymptoms of acid refluxinH.
pyloriinfections or the ulcers that can sometimes result.
These includegarlic,honey,broccoli,green tea, andred wine.
At-Home Care
it’s possible for you to help relieve stomach pain and other symptoms ofH.
pyloriinfection by following a consistent meal schedule that doesnt require your stomach to be empty for too long.
[9]
After youve been treated forH.
pylori, your doctor might suggest that you get tested again for the infection four weeks later.
If you still have the infection, you may need to take another round of treatment with different antibiotics.
Prevention of H. Pylori
Theres currently no vaccine to protect againstH.
Researchers arent sure exactly what causes the infection or how it spreads, so there arent standard prevention guidelines.
Are You Washing Your Hands Correctly?
Complications of H. Pylori
H. pylorican lead to complications, includingulcers,gastritis, and stomach cancer.
pyloriare at an increased risk of having this condition.
Stomach Cancer
[11]
Learn More About the Complications ofH.
Pylori
Research and Statistics: Who Has H. Pylori?
She earned her bachelor’s from the University of St. Thomas, majoring in biochemistry and minoring in theology.
She also completed an elective in medical writing and editing, working withAmerican Family Physicianmagazine.Dr.
Her goal is to compose helpful articles that readers can easily understand and use to improve their well-being.
She is passionate about healthy living and delivering important medical information through her writing.
Prior to her freelance career, Marks was a supervising producer of medical programming for Ivanhoe Broadcast News.
She is a Telly award winner and Freddie award finalist.
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