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Test for H. Pylori

H. pylori is a bacterial infection. The risk factors for developing this infection increase if you live in a country with unsanitary living conditions, if you live in a home with many people, or if someone you live with has the infection. Fortunately, there are relatively simple tests to detect the infection, and there are ways to treat it with antibiotics.

  1. What is H. Pylori?

    • H. pylori is short for Helicobacter pylori. This bacterium causes an infection in the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine. For many, it may never present any symptoms or signs or cause complications; however, for others, it can cause ulcers or become as serious as stomach cancer. More than half the people in the world are thought to have this infection.

    Causes

    • H. pylori passes from one person to another through direct contact with fecal matter or saliva. It may also transmit through untreated water. It enters through the mouth and travels to the digestive tract. While most bacteria have difficulty surviving in the stomach because of the stomach acid, the H. pylori bacterium is able to adapt to the environment by producing an enzyme that acts as a buffer against stomach acid.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of H. pylori can be similar to other conditions. They can be as general as vomiting, nausea, bloating, a burning pain in your stomach or weight loss. It is always wise to contact your health care professional if these symptoms continue or become worrisome. Contact your physician immediately, however, if you notice bloody or black tarry stools, severe abdominal pain, trouble swallowing or bloody vomit.

    Testing

    • Four tests can check for H. pylori. One, a blood antibody test, requires blood to be drawn and sent to a lab for testing. The lab tests for antibodies to the bacteria. The presence of antibodies in the blood sample means that you have had or currently have H. pylori. A second test is the urea breath test: You drink a solution of radioactive carbon molecules. If you have H. pylori bacteria, you exhale the carbon molecules when breathing into a bag. A doctor measures this using a special device.

      Your physician may examine a stool sample for H. pylori infection as a third test. The fourth, most invasive, test is the endoscopy. This is a flexible tube with a small camera on the end that is inserted down the throat and esophagus and into the stomach and beginning of the small intestine. The doctor examines the area for irregularities and can remove a small sample of tissue for further analysis. This procedure is also known as a biopsy.

    Treatment

    • The typical treatment for H. pylori is antibiotics. Doctors usually prescribe a regimen of two antibiotics to be taken together for a total of 14 days. The reasoning for using two antibiotics is to prevent the bacteria from developing a resistance to any one particular antibiotic. Along with the antibiotic, the doctor may recommend that you take acid reducing medications to help the effectiveness of the antibiotics. The doctor may recommend follow-up testing a few weeks after treatment to confirm the elimination of the bacteria.

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