Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection

What is it?

When an Australian doctor claimed stomach ulcers could be caused by a bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, I remember he was universally disbelieved.

His theory, however, turned out to be true and we usually contract H. pylori when we’re children, probably from a parent. It’s very common, and present in more than half the people in the world.

What are the symptoms?

In most people, H. pylori infection is symptomless. Symptoms are classical of peptic ulceration, a burning pain under your breast bone which may go through to your back. The pain may be worse when you’ve first eaten or when your stomach is empty. You may feel nausea, loss of appetite, have frequent burping and bloating, and possibly loss of weight.

Classically the pain will wake you at 2am, you may vomit what looks like coffee grounds or pass bloody or black tarry stools. Alert your doctor about any of these

What causes it?

H. pylori is usually passed on in saliva (kissing) and often affects the duodenum, the exit from the stomach, as well as the stomach itself. We don’t know how H. pylori bacteria causes peptic ulcers.

What’s the treatment?

To prevent bacterial resistance we treat H. pylori infections with at least two different antibiotics at once. H. pylori thrives in an acid environment and drugs (proton pump inhibitors) are given to cut acid levels down.

You may also receive bismuth subsalicylate which works by coating the ulcer and protecting it from stomach acid, and histamine blockers (H-2) which reduce the amount of acid produced by cells lining the stomach.