Why Test for H. Pylori?
What is H. pylori?
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that causes peptic ulcers. H. pylori is so tough that it is one of the few bugs that can actually live in your stomach acid. Unfortunately, H. pylori is not the type of guest that you want to stick around. That’s because H. pylori breaks down and irritates your stomach lining. Eventually, this irritation can lead to a painful peptic ulcer.
While H. pylori bacteria can survive in stomach acid, they can also be killed by eradication treatment. Because you shouldn’t take antibiotics if you don’t need them, your doctor will probably want to make sure your peptic ulcer is caused by H. pylori before treating it.
What Does an H. pylori Infection Cause?
An estimated 35% of the adult US population is infected.1 H. pylori has been associated with conditions such as:
- Gastritis–100% correlation with H. pylori 1
- Duodenal ulcers–90% caused by H. pylori 2
- Gastric ulcers–80% caused by H. pylori 2
- Gastric Cancer – Linked to 60% of gastric cancer cases3
- adenocarcinoma
- primary ß-cell lymphoma (MALT lymphoma)
More than 550,000 new cases of stomach cancer every year are attributed to H. pylori4
What are the symptoms of a peptic ulcer?
Some people ignore or overlook the symptoms of a peptic ulcer because they think that it is just an upset stomach. Though the signs are similar, peptic ulcers may also cause pain that:
- Is usually in the upper-middle part of the stomach, above the belly button and below the breastbone
- Feels like burning or gnawing, and it may go through to your back
- Comes several hours after a meal when the stomach is empty
- Is often worse at night
- Lasts anywhere from a few minutes to several hours
- May be relieved by food, antacids, or vomiting
Other symptoms of a peptic ulcer include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Burping
- Bloating
- Loss of Appetite
- Weight Loss