Many patients visit the OPD with pain in the upper part of their stomach. This pain often persists for a long time, and some people may experience vomiting or even black stools. Such cases might involve chronic conditions or a gastric ulcer. Gastric ulcers are commonly caused by a specific reason.
We will discuss what it is, how the infection occurs, its effects on our body, how it is diagnosed, and how it can be treated.
What is H Pylori?
- pylori is a bacteria that affects our stomach. It is commonly seen that this infection spreads through contaminated food or water. In India, it has been observed that more than 50% of people are infected. This means that over 500 million people in India could potentially have this infection.
However, the good news is that if someone has the infection, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will face complications.
Usually, our body is capable of controlling the bacteria. But if the body is unable to control it, such patients may develop complications.
H Pylori Complications
- pylori infection often leads to chronic gastritis, which means inflammation in the stomach. In chronic gastritis, the patient may feel pain in the upper part of the stomach. This pain can worsen after eating, and the stomach might feel bloated, a condition we call “bloating.” If chronic gastritis is not treated in time, it can progress to a gastric ulcer.
When H. pylori infects the stomach, it increases acid production. This excess acid can lead to ulcers in the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine, known as the duodenum. In many endoscopy reports, you might have seen mentions of “gastric ulcer” or “duodenal ulcer.”
Patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers often experience pain in the upper abdomen, which worsens after eating.
In some cases, ulcers can cause bleeding. If bleeding occurs, the patient might vomit blood or have black stools.
In rare cases, ulcers can perforate, which is called “ulcer perforation.” This causes severe stomach pain and is a medical emergency that usually requires surgery to treat.
Serious Complication of H pylori
The most serious complication of H pylori infection is the development of gastric cancer. If H. pylori is not treated, the inflammation may continue to worsen in some patients and eventually lead to cancer.
Gastric cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage through endoscopy, and early treatment is also possible.
For patients with chronic gastritis, we perform special endoscopy procedures or image-enhanced endoscopy. These help us detect gastric cancer in its early stages, and in such cases, the cancer can often be cured using endoscopy itself.
In general, surgery is required to treat gastric cancer. However, if it is diagnosed early, endoscopic treatment can be an effective option.
Diagnosis of H. Pylori
The first step is to look out for h. pylori infection symptoms.
Endoscopy is performed to thoroughly examine the stomach to check for gastritis, ulcers, or cancer.
During the endoscopy, a biopsy sample is taken from the stomach, which is sent to a lab for analysis to detect the presence of H. pylori infection.
In the lab, the sample is examined under a microscope to identify the bacteria.
A common method involves testing the sample with a specific solution. If the solution changes color to red, it indicates the presence of H. pylori infection.
- pylori can also be diagnosed using two additional tests:
- H. pylori Urea Breath Test
- H. pylori Stool Antigen Test.
Urea Breath Test
In the H. pylori urea breath test, the patient is given a capsule containing urea.
When the urea reaches the stomach, the urease enzyme produced by H. pylori breaks it down, releasing carbon. The patient is then asked to exhale into a bag, and the air is tested for the presence of carbon. This process is called the urea breath test, a simple and effective way to detect H. pylori infection.
Stool Antigen Test
In this test, the patient’s stool is examined for the presence of H. pylori antigens.
Three main tests for H. pylori detection are:
- H. pylori Endoscopy and biopsy
- H. pylori Urea breath test
- H. pylori Stool antigen test
Treatment of H. pylori Infection
Before conducting the H. pylori test, if the patient is taking acid-reducing medicines or antibiotics, they are advised to stop the intake of medications.
When diagnosing H. pylori for the first time, an endoscopy is performed to rule out cancer or ulcers in the stomach. During this,a biopsy is taken to test for H. pylori.
After treatment, to confirm the eradication of H. pylori, a stool antigen test is performed.
To eradicate H. pylori, we prescribe medications, typically a two-week course. This includes a combination of antibiotics along with acid-reducing medicines.
This combination is about 80–90% effective in most cases. It helps prevent complications and also treats ulcers and stomach pain if present. If the patient has stomach pain or ulcers, these can also be treated effectively. There’s no need to worry, as this condition can be easily managed with proper h. pylori infection treatment.
