Can You Have H Pylori and Not Know It

Download Article

Download Article

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacteria that causes chronic inflammation of inner lining of the stomach and is the leading cause of peptic ulcer illness worldwide. Over 50% of American people are infected with H. pylori and, in developing countries, the pct may reach as high as ninety%; notwithstanding, only one in half dozen persons develops symptoms of peptic ulcer. The only way to know for sure if you are infected is getting tested past a medical professional person.

1. 1

   Scout for wearisome pain in your tum that does not get away. ^[1] An H. Pylori infection can cause peptic ulcers in your stomach and lower intestine. As H. Pylori rarely causes symptoms in and of itself, a peptic ulcer can alarm y'all to a potential infection. If you have a peptic ulcer, yous may display some of the following symptoms:^[2]

   • You may have a tedious hurting in your breadbasket that does not go away. Pain volition normally come up two to 3 hours after eating.
   • The pain volition come up and get for several weeks, and may sometimes happen in the heart of the night when your stomach is empty.
   • The pain may get away temporarily when y'all accept medications like antacids and other over-the-counter pain medications.

2. 2

   Pay attention to prolonged nausea. Y'all may experience nausea if you have an H. Pylori infection.^[3] Pay attention to your body and notice of any nausea yous experience.^[4]

   • You may vomit when you experience nausea. With an H. Pylori infection, your vomit may include claret. You may also detect a substance that resembles coffee grounds.
   • Nausea tin can be acquired past a broad multifariousness of factors, such as motion sickness, the flu, eating or drinking something that did not sit down well with you lot, or morning sickness during pregnancy. If your nausea is persistent, and yous do not have any obvious cause, it may be related to an H. Pylori infection.

   Advertisement

3. 3

   Consider your appetite. A loss of appetite can also be a symptom of an H. Pylori infection. You may not exist interested in food or eating. This may come in conjunction with the feelings of nausea and indigestion associated with the disease.^[v]

   • If y'all're having a loss of appetite, which is accompanied by unexplained weight loss, you may want to talk to a doctor. Loss of appetite is a common symptom of many diseases, including some cancers.^[6] See your dr. to dominion out any serious conditions if you're experiencing a loss of appetite.

4. iv

   Watch out for unusual changes in your body. You may experience some odd changes in your body when y'all have an H. Pylori infection. Have note of whatever sudden changes and encounter a md for evaluation.^[7]

   • It's not uncommon for the belly to be bloated slightly during an H. Pylori infection.
   • You may as well notice your stools have become increasingly blackness and tarry.
   • Sometimes, people with an H. Pylori infection volition experience frequent bouts of the hiccups.

5. v

   Assess your chance factors. Every bit symptoms are rare, and easily mistaken for other conditions, think virtually your chance factors. If you take a lot of risk factors for an H. Pylori infection, symptoms like stomach cramps may exist cause for business.^[eight]

   • If yous alive in crowded conditions, such as a small abode with many people, this increases your risk of infection.
   • If you don't have regular access to make clean water, you may also have an increased risk of infection.
   • If you alive in a developing country, or have recently visited ane, this as well increases your adventure for infection.
   • If y'all're living with someone who you lot know has H. Pylori, this means y'all're more likely to have the infection yourself.

6. 6

   Seek firsthand medical attention if symptoms get worse chop-chop. H. Pylori is non commonly a medical emergency; however, some symptoms can get serious. If you experience whatsoever of the following, seek firsthand medical attending:^[ix]

   • Difficulty swallowing
   • Severe intestinal pain
   • Bloody stools
   • Bloody vomit

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Talk with your md about testing. Talk to your physician nearly your symptoms and why you think yous may have H. Pylori and see if she agrees that a test is necessary. People who should be tested for H. Pylori include those with sure gastric tumors, active peptic ulcer disease, or history of peptic ulcer disease. People who are under the age of 55 who have dyspepsia may be candidates for handling.

2. 2

   Accept a breath exam. ^[ten] Though this is not the most authentic test for H. Pylori, information technology is not as invasive every bit some other options. During this test, you swallow a substance that contains a waste product chosen urea. Urea breaks down proteins in the stomach. If an infection is nowadays, the urea will be converted to carbon dioxide which can be detected in the breath.^[11]

   • You volition need to prepare for a jiff test for about two weeks. Your physician will advise you to cease taking any over-the-counter or prescription medication yous're using to care for H. Pylori.
   • Y'all will swallow the urea in the doctor's office. Afterwards 10 minutes, you lot'll be asked to exhale and the doctor will test your breath for carbon dioxide.

3. 3

   Consider a stool examination. ^[12] Your doctor may want to examination your stool for traces of H. Pylori. This is usually done after treatment to confirm H. Pylori has been eradicated and you no longer take an infection.^[thirteen]

   • Your doctor may lodge a stool test after a positive jiff test and subsequent treatment.
   • Listen to your doctor's instructions carefully in regards on how to collect and store your stools. Drove methods vary by hospital.
   • At that place is also a rapid stool antigen exam for H.Pylori. Talk with your doctor about this option — it may not be bachelor everywhere.

4. 4

   Get a blood test done. ^[xiv] A blood test tin also exist used to check for H. Pylori; however, this exam may not be every bit accurate as a jiff examination. It can only test whether your trunk currently contains H. Pylori antibodies. It cannot tell if y'all are shortly infected.^[xv]

   • Your doc may club a blood exam for a diverseness of reasons. She may want to confirm an infection. If your doctor orders a blood test, trust that your doctor knows what'south best for you. It's a simple procedure that should non take long.
   • Other methods that are not as usually utilized include PCR concatenation reaction, salivary assays, urinary assays, and C13-urea blood exam.

5. v

   See if your doctor wants a biopsy. A biopsy is the most accurate fashion to test for H. Pylori.^[16] In a biopsy, a pocket-sized tissue sample is taken from your stomach. You'll have to have an endoscopy, a somewhat invasive medical procedure, conducted at the hospital to remove the sample.^[17]

   • During an endoscopy, a pocket-sized tube will exist inserted into your mouth and and then fed into your tum. In add-on to removing a tissue sample, your doctor will check for inflammation.^[18]
   • While the most accurate means to diagnose H. Pylori, your doctor will non telephone call for this procedure unless an endoscopy is necessary for other reasons. Your doctor may want to conduct an endoscopy if you have a peptic ulcer or are at take a chance for stomach cancer.

   Advertisement

1. ane

   Have drugs to suppress acid. After an infection is diagnosed, your dr. will recommend you take a variety of drugs to suppress breadbasket acrid. Triple antibody therapy is the first line treatment for H. Pylori. The regimen most usually employed for first line treatment include a proton pump inhibitor and ii antibiotics for coverage confronting the leaner. Handling should final xiv days. Your doctor volition recommend which particular drugs are best for you based on your medical history and electric current condition.^[19]

   • Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a range of drugs that stop acid production in the stomach. Your medico may prescribe these drugs if excessive tummy acid is causing you pain.
   • Histamine (H-ii) blockers can as well block acid production by stopping the production of a substance called histamine. Histamine tin can trigger acid production in the stomach.
   • Bismuth subsalicylate, sold commercially every bit Pepto-Bismol, tin coat breadbasket ulcers and can reduce pain.
   • Follow your physician's instructions carefully in regards to which drugs he recommends. If you are on any existing medication, make certain to enquire whether your current meds volition interact with medication used to treat H. Pylori.

2. 2

   Proceed testing throughout treatment. Your dr. volition want to make sure treatment of your H. Pylori was successful. He or she will probably want to do another circular of testing about four weeks after your treatment. In the upshot handling was unsuccessful, you may undergo a second round of treatment and be prescribed antibiotics. Unremarkably the 2d round of testing includes upper endoscopy, fecal antigen examination, or urease breath test for confirmation of eradication.

3. 3

   Talk to your doctor nearly whether regular screenings are right for you. You may want to be regularly screened for H. Pylori if yous take a high hazard of tum cancer. An H. Pylori infection may increase your risk of developing stomach cancer. Discuss your concerns with your doctor and she will make up one's mind if regular screening for H. Pylori is right for you lot.^[xx]

   Advertisement

Add together New Question

• Question

  How do you test for H pylori?

  

  Peter Westward. Gardner, MD is a board certified dr. who has practiced Gastroenterology and Hepatology for over xxx years. He specializes in diseases of the digestive system and liver. Dr. Gardner earned his Bachelor'due south degree from the University of North Carolina and attended Georgetown Medical School. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine so his fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Connecticut. He is a previous Primary of Gastroenterology at Stamford Infirmary and remains on the staff. He is also on the staff of Greenwich Hospital and New York (Columbia) Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Gardner is an Approved Consultant in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology with the American Board of Internal Medicine.

  

  Board Certified Gastroenterologist

  Expert Answer

  There are several different methods, including a breath examination, a stool test, a blood examination, and an endoscopy.

• Question

  Can I accept creatine pill if I'g tested H. pylori positive?

  

  Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical inquiry feel, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University Schoolhouse of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Clan (AMWA) in 2022 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

  

  Family unit Medicine Physician

  Expert Answer

  I would try to avoid all supplements and but accept the medication that is prescribed by your doctor. Y'all do non want to take whatever unwanted reactions.

Inquire a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertizement

Nigh This Article

Commodity Summary X

Mutual symptoms of H. Pylori include irksome stomach hurting that doesn't get abroad, prolonged nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite. You may as well run into a bloated abdomen, black and tarry stools, and frequent bouts of hiccups. H. Pylori is non usually a medical emergency, however, if you experience difficulty swallowing, severe abdominal pain, or bloody stools or vomit, yous should seek medical attention immediately. For more tips from our Medical co-writer, including how to manage an H. Pylori infection, read on!

Did this summary assistance yous?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 74,521 times.

Did this article help you?

hudsonwoarearume.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Know-if-You-Have-H.-Pylori

Share this post