|  | Conditions Treatments | Ulcers

Tests for Helicobacter

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that lives in stomachs and can cause problems with the stomach lining. It can cause gastritis and ulcers, as well as pain, belching, bloating, nausea, and cancer. Approximately two-thirds of the world's population is infected with this germ. In the United States, infection with H. pylori is more common in older adults and lower-income groups. In developing countries, up to 90 percent of the population is infected.

  1. H. Pylori and Ulcers

    • More than two decades ago, it was discovered that H. pylori plays a role in the cause of peptic ulcers and gastritis. Nobody has been able to explain why so few people develop peptic ulcers even though so many are host to this bacterium.

      If an ulcer develops in your stomach, it can make the lining too weak to resist the corrosive effects of stomach acids. It can open a hole that allows bacteria and undigested food to get into your abdominal cavity. This may cause a life-threatening infection called peritonitis. About 15,000 Americans each year die from complications of peritonitis.

      Factors that can increase your risk for an ulcer from H. pylori include an abnormal immune response in your stomach and some lifestyle habits, like coffee drinking, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

    Blood Test

    • The most common test for H. pylori is a blood test that seeks to find antibodies to this bacterium. Antibodies are an immune response to infection. If H. pylori antibodies are found, then you are either currently infected or had the infection at one time. This is an inexpensive and accurate way to make a diagnosis. Blood tests are not used to detect H. pylori following treatment because a patient's blood can show positive results even after the germ has been eliminated.

    Stool Antigen Test

    • Stool tests may be used to detect H. pylori infection in your fecal matter. Studies have shown that this test is accurate for diagnosing the bacterium. Antigens stimulate the production of antibodies and combine specifically with them allowing a laboratory to determine if the germ is present.

    Breath Test

    • Urea breath tests are also an accurate diagnostic method for H. pylori, according to the NDDIC (National Digestive Diseases Info Clearinghouse). The tests are also used after treatment to see whether it worked. In your doctor's office, you drink a urea solution that contains a special carbon atom. If the bacteria are present, the urea breaks down and releases the carbon. The blood carries the carbon to your lungs, where you exhale it.

      If you have persistent symptoms of disease, you will require a urea breath test but usually only if you test negative for H. pylori are you likely to undergo endoscopy.

    Biopsy Test

    • Tissue tests are usually done using a biopsy sample that is removed with an endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a tiny camera on the end. The doctor inserts it into the mouth and down to the stomach for examination. The tissue samples are then examined for H. pylori. Since the bacteria grow in separated colonies, it's possible that the endoscopic exam will miss the infected areas, according to Dr. Gabe Merkin, M.D.

      In diagnosing H. pylori, blood, breath, and stool tests are usually done before tissue biopsies because they are highly accurate and less invasive.

Ulcers - Related Articles