Do I need to treat the stomach bacteria Helicobacter Pylori?

Have you ever heard about bacteria in the stomach called Helicobacter pylori? These bacteria are present in over 50% of the earth’s population. But most people don’t know if they have it. Because the majority of them don’t have any symptoms.

These bacteria are unique, they get attached to the lining of the stomach. Unlike any other bacteria or viruses, they can adapt to the acid environment in the stomach and can live there for years.

In 90% of the cases, the bacteria are present in the stomach without causing any harm or disease and will not require any treatment. On the other hand, in 10% of the cases, they can cause chronic symptoms and definitely will need to be treated.

So, what are the symptoms? The symptoms are due to the presence of gastritis, which is the inflammation of the stomach. It causes nausea, indigestion, burping & heartburn.
If this infection continues for a long time without treatment, patients might complain of stomach pain, from the development of an ulcer in the stomach. Also, this infection might increase the risk of a stomach cancer, a serious but very rare complication.

Who should be tested for these bacteria? We don’t need to test people without symptoms. However, any patient who is having recurrent or chronic stomach symptoms, especially if they have been taking stomach medications for a longtime, should be tested.

The diagnosis is simple by doing a breath test called UBT (Urea breath test) or a stool test. These 2 tests can confirm the presence of an active infection. On the contrary, a blood test can only confirm the presence of antibodies, which means the presence of a prior but not an active infection.
Of course, the bacteria can also be discovered by taking a biopsy during stomach endoscopy. Unfortunately, this infection is contagious. It can be transmitted from one person to another or by contaminated water.

Finally, these bacteria can be resistant to treatment. So, the standard is to give 2 or 3 antibiotics together for 10 to 14 days. In addition to a medicine to stop the acid production from the stomach during the treatment.
Of course, we should repeat the test 1 month after the treatment and if it is not resolved, we must try a different type of antibiotics.

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Video shot and edited by: Fadi Helbaoui

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