Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, is a bacteria that infects the stomach or first portion of the small intestine. The bacteria may be present in the stomach without causing any symptoms or it may contribute to the development of ulcers in the stomach or small intestine, acid reflux and inflammation of the lining of the stomach. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports that researchers are not sure how the bacteria is spread, though contaminated food and water as well as person-to-person contact is likely.
Risk Factors
According to MayoClinic.com, H. pylori is usually contracted in childhood. Risk factors for contracting H. pylori include living in crowded, unsanitary conditions where the bacteria can be passed from person to person. Other risk factors include having little or no access to clean, hot water or eating food that has not been prepared under sanitary conditions. Medline Plus, a website of the National Institutes of Health, reports that many people harbor H. pylori in their stomachs and never develop an ulcer. Smoking, alcohol use and drinking coffee increase the risk of developing a gastric ulcer due to H. pylori.
Symptoms of Infection
Most cases of H. pylori present no signs or symptoms. When H. pylori does cause symptoms, those symptoms are related to gastric ulceration or inflammation of the stomach called gastritis. MayoClinic.com reports that an aching or burning pain in the abdomen may be a sign of an ulcer. Other symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, weight loss, frequent belching and bloating.
Treatment
Treatment for an H. pylori infection involves medications to destroy the H. pylori bacteria and medications to help reduce acid in the stomach and heal gastric ulceration. To destroy the H. pylori bacteria, two antibiotics are given for a period of 14 days, according to Medline Plus. Acid reflux medications such as pantoprazole, esomeprazole, famotidine and cimetidine may be given to help block the production of gastric acid and allow the lining of the stomach to heal. Several weeks after treatment, follow-up breath and/or stool tests are done to insure that treatment was successful. In cases in which treatment is not successful in destroying the H. pylori bacteria, patients undergo another round of treatment using different antibiotics.
