Symptoms
Most people with hylicobacter pylori have no symptoms or signs, and the cause is not known. If symptoms occur, they may include:
* Itching or burning pain in the abdomen
* Abdominal pain worsens if the patient's stomach is empty
* Nausea
* Loss of appetite
* Flatulence
* Weight loss
When do you visit the doctor?
See your doctor if you notice any persistent signs and symptoms that worry you. Seek immediate medical help if you have:
* Abdominal pain that is severe or persistent
* Difficulty swallowing
* Bloody or black stools
* Bloody or black vomit or vomit that looks like ground coffee
Causes
The exact way in which hylicobacter pylori infect a person is still unknown, but it may be transmitted from one person to another through:
* Direct contact with saliva, vomit, or stool
* Contaminated food or water.
Risk factors
Living in crowded places: You are at risk of contracting H. pylori if you live in a crowded house.
Life without a reliable source of clean water supply: Reliance on a reliable source of clean water supply reduces the risk of infection
Living with someone who has the bacterial infection
Complications
* Stomach ulcers: may damage the protective lining of the stomach and small intestine, and produce an open ulcer, about 10% of people infected with H. pylori will develop stomach ulcers.
* Inflammation of the gastric membrane: due to irritation of the membrane
* Stomach cancer: H. pylori is a risk factor for stomach cancer.
Diagnosis
Hylicobacter pylori is diagnosed by testing::
*blood
*breath
* stool
* endoscopy
Treatment
H. pylori is treated with a triple therapy system, which includes two antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor drug such as omeprazole.
Also treated with:
* Bismuth salicylate: This remedy, more commonly known as Pepto-Bismot, works by coating the ulcer and protecting it from stomach acid.
