Stomach bacteria or Helicobacter Pylori, also called H.pylori, is a common digestive system disease. It's a spiral-shaped bacteria found in the stomach. It was identified as the main cause of stomach ulcers and chronic gastritis, conditions once thought to be from stress or poor nutrition.
Symptoms of a H.pylori infection can include stomach pain, bloating, nausea, and black stools. Blood, stool, and breath tests can confirm infection. An endoscopy might follow to check inside the stomach directly.
It's believed H.pylori lives in the upper digestive tract of about 50% of the world's population. Over 80% of those don't show any symptoms. In people who do, H.pylori infection is linked to a higher risk ofstomach cancer.
This article will explain the symptoms of stomach bacteria, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options.
Stomach bacteria symptoms
Research shows that up to 85% of infected people have no symptoms. But those who do usually get acute gastritis, which means inflammation with stomach pain and nausea. Over time, this can turn into chronic gastritis with ongoing symptoms.
Common signs and symptoms of H. pylori infection include:
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Stomach pain.
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Nausea.
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Bloating.
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Belching.
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Loss of appetite.
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Vomiting.
Pain often happens when the stomach is empty, between meals, or early morning. Many people describe this pain as biting or gnawing in the stomach.
Also, an H. pylori infection can get worse and cause more serious problems like stomach ulcers or stomach cancer.
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Stomach ulcers
People with H. pylori infection have a 10-20% lifelong risk of getting stomach ulcers. This usually happens in the stomach itself causing stomach ulcers, or in the pyloric canal linking the stomach to the duodenum, causing duodenal ulcers.
Often, you can tell the ulcer type by when symptoms show up. Stomach ulcers usually cause pain shortly after eating, while duodenal ulcer pain starts 2 to 3 hours after eating.
Symptom severity can vary and often overlaps with gastritis symptoms. Severe ulcers can cause a range of problems, some directly linked to stomach bleeding and its progression. Anemia.
Common symptoms and signs of ulcers include:-
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Black stool.
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Blood in stool.
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Fatigue.
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Shortness of breath.
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Dizziness or fainting.
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Blood in vomit.
If any of these symptoms appear, seek emergency medical care.
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Stomach cancer
The most common risk factor linked to stomach cancer is Helicobacter pylori infection. H. pylori causes chronic gastritis which can lead to precancerous changes in the stomach lining. Besides H. pylori infection, family history, obesity, smoking, and a diet high in salty, smoked, or pickled foods also contribute to stomach cancer development.
Stomach cancer often has no symptoms in the early stages, but as the tumor grows, there may be symptoms including:-
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Constant weakness and fatigue.
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Bloating after meals.
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Vomiting and nausea.
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Difficulty swallowing.
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Diarrhea Or Constipation.
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Blood in vomiting.
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Blood in stool or tarry stool.
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Unexplained weight loss.
Causes of H. pylori
H. pylori is an aerophilic bacteria, meaning it needs some oxygen to live. Even though it’s contagious, we’re still not totally sure how it spreads.
Most evidence points to H. pylori spreading by mouth through direct or indirect saliva contact, feces, dirty surfaces, or drinking contaminated water.
Also, the age when someone gets infected seems to affect the risk of stomach bacteria infection. People who get infected when they're young are more likely to get atrophic gastritis. This is when the stomach lining turns into scar tissue, which increases the risk of stomach ulcers and cancer.
On the other hand, getting a stomach bacteria infection at an older age is more likely to cause duodenal ulcers.
How to diagnose stomach bacteria
If any of the symptoms above show up, the healthcare provider might recommend tests to confirm the bacteria and check for any abnormal changes in the stomach.
Usually, stomach bacteria infection can be diagnosed with one of these tests:-
1. Antibody test:- The blood antibody test detects if the immune system made specific defense proteins called antibodies in response to the stomach bacteria.
2. Stool antigen test:- Stool antigen tests directly look for H. pylori infection in stool samples by detecting a certain protein called antigen on the bacteria surface.
3. Urea breath test:- Breath tests are done in a special container 10-30 minutes after swallowing a pill with urea. H. pylori produces an enzyme that breaks urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. High carbon dioxide levels cause a positive reaction confirming the bacteria's presence.
4. Endoscopy:- If these tests aren't enough to confirm H. pylori infection and symptoms keep happening, your doctor might suggest an endoscopy to see the stomach. It's done in the clinic under sedation by inserting a flexible lighted scope down the throat to the stomach to take digital pictures of the stomach lining.
5. Biopsy:- A tool at the end of the scope can take tissue samples, called a biopsy, to analyze in the lab for H. pylori.
Treatment of H. pylori
If an H. pylori infection causes a symptom-related disease, treatment will focus on eliminating the infection, then fixing any stomach damage. The most common treatment for H. pylori is antibiotics.
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Antibiotics
Killing H. pylori bacteria is tough because antibiotic resistance has made many standard treatments useless. So healthcare providers use a stronger approach by combining two or more antibiotics and lowering stomach acid.
If this treatment fails, the healthcare provider will try another set until all signs of infection are gone.
In the end, success depends on strictly following the prescribed treatment. Stopping early when feeling better can let resistant bacteria survive and cause the infection to come back, making it harder to treat. Lasting cure happens only by fully killing all H. pylori bacteria.
How to ease H. pylori infection
Even after confirming H. pylori, it might take time and multiple tries to treat the infection. During this period, the patient should avoid anything that upsets the stomach or causes too much acid production.
Here are some tips for someone with H. pylori to follow and keep in mind:-
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Avoid aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
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Talk to the doctor about the medications the patient is taking.
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Do not take excessive doses of iron supplements.
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Avoid caffeine, acidic foods, spicy foods, and carbonated drinks.
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Work on stress techniques that help reduce stomach acid production, like meditation and yoga.
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Stay hydrated.
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Exercise, but avoid overexertion.
