In the hustle and bustle of work and life, we often neglect the care of our stomachs. It is not until symptoms such as stomach pain, acid reflux and heartburn strike that we realize the severity of the problem. Among them, there is an unexpected guest that is often mentioned but not necessarily deeply understood, and that is – Helicobacter pylori.
Helicobacterpylori (Hp), also known as Helicobacterpylori, is a type of bacteria and the only one discovered so far that can survive in the human stomach for a long time. Because our stomachs secrete gastric acid, the environment inside the stomach is highly acidic. Most bacteria cannot survive in the stomach, but Helicobacter pylori can.
Transmission route
Mouth-to-mouth transmission – Eating undercooked meat products, kissing and sharing meals can all easily lead to infection. This is the main transmission route of Helicobacter pylori. Fecal-oral transmission – Water sources or food contaminated by Helicobacter pylori can cause water drinkers or consumers to be infected with Helicobacter pylori. Mother-to-child transmission – Unclean breastfeeding, mouth-to-mouth feeding, feeding after chewing, and kissing an infant’s lips can all cause Helicobacter pylori infection. Iatrogenic transmission – Invasive examinations such as treatments for the oral cavity, dentistry, nasal cavity, etc., all have the potential to cause infection.
Infection symptoms
Most infected people are asymptomatic, but some may experience the following symptoms. Indigestion: Symptoms include abdominal pain and distension, stomach discomfort, loss of appetite, fullness after meals, nausea, and vomiting. Stomach pain: It is characterized by colic and burning pain, which becomes more obvious after eating. It may also be accompanied by acid reflux, belching and heartburn. Bad breath: This is a typical symptom of many people infected with Helicobacter pylori. The secretions produced by the bacteria can cause a foul smell. Other: Long-term infection with Helicobacter pylori may also cause diseases such as gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers, and lead to more severe symptoms, such as hematemesis and melena.
Cause diseases
1. The poor prognosis for HP-infected individuals is gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori is a Group 1 carcinogen. People infected with Helicobacter pylori have a six times higher risk of developing gastric cancer than the general population.
2. All HP-infected individuals have chronic active gastritis, a contagious disease with an infection rate as high as 50%.
3. Approximately 25% to 30% of the infected individuals will develop gastrointestinal diseases of varying degrees, such as indigestion, chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and malignant gastric tumors.
4. HP infection is also closely related to various gastrointestinal diseases (such as iron deficiency anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc.).
Detection method
Non-invasive examination
Carbon-13 / carbon-14 urea breath test: Breath detection, simple, fast and highly accurate, is the first choice in clinical practice.
Serum antibody test: It detects antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in the blood, but it cannot distinguish between current infection and previous infection.
Fecal antigen test: It detects Helicobacter pylori antigen in feces and is easy to operate.
Invasive examination: Rapid urease test, histological examination or bacterial culture during gastroscopy biopsy can directly observe the condition of the stomach and confirm the diagnosis.
Post time: Jan-04-2026