Infection Helicobacter pylori is a disease caused by Helicobacter pylori, namely bacteria that can live in stomach. This infection can occur when bacteria attack and damage the stomach wall.
Under normal conditions, the stomach will secrete acid to kill bacteria that enter the digestive tract with food. However, Helicobacter pylori can live in acid, so stomach acid becomes ineffective in killing these bacteria.
Infection Helicobacter pylori usually do not cause significant symptoms. However, if it occurs continuously, infection Helicobacter pylori can cause digestive tract diseases, such as gastritis (acute or chronic gastritis) and gastric ulcers.
Causes of Infection Helicobacter pylori
Infection Helicobacter pylori caused by bacteria Helicobacter pylori in the stomach. These bacteria can be spread by:
- Oral contact or saliva between a patient and a healthy person
- fecal-oral, namely through the feces of patients who are not cleaned properly
- Consumption of water or food contaminated with bacteria
Infection risk factors Helicobacter pylori
Infection Helicobacter pylori can happen to anyone. However, one will be more easily infected Helicobacter pylori if:
- Living in an environment with poor sanitation
- Live in densely populated settlements
- Consuming drinking water that is not cooked until cooked
- Sharing a place to live with an infected person Helicobacter pylori
In developing countries, infection Helicobacter pylori more susceptible to occur in children, whereas in developed countries, the infection is more susceptible to occur in adults.
Symptoms of Infection Helicobacter pylori
Infection Helicobacter pylori which have not caused complications generally do not cause specific symptoms. Symptoms usually only appear when the infection has caused sores or ulcers in the digestive tract. These symptoms include:
- Stomach pain, especially on an empty stomach or at night
- Bloated
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Excessive burping
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Bloody or dark stools
When to go to the doctor
Check with your doctor if you feel the above symptoms. This is intended to ensure conditions while preventing infection Helicobacter pylori does not cause more serious complaints and is not contagious to others.
See your doctor right away if you have symptoms such as severe abdominal pain that doesn't go away, bloody or dark stools, vomiting blood, or difficulty swallowing food or drink.
Infection Diagnosis Helicobacter pylori
To diagnose infection Helicobacter pylori, First, the doctor will ask questions about the symptoms felt, medical history, and medications that are currently or have been consumed by the patient.
After that, the doctor will perform a physical examination by pressing the patient's abdomen to determine whether there is pain or swelling in the abdomen which can be a sign of infection Helicobacter pylori.
In order to make a more accurate diagnosis, the doctor may also perform the following investigations:
- Blood tests, to detect the presence of specific antibodies Helicobacter pylori in blood
- Urea breath test, to find out where Helicobacter pylori inside the body
- Stool examination, to detect the presence or absence of blood in the stool
- Endoscopy, to check for signs of infection Helicobacter pylori visually through the digestive tract using an endoscope, which is a long thin tube equipped with a camera at the end
Infection Treatment Helicobacter pylori
Treatment is generally done when the infection has caused symptoms that interfere with activities. In addition, treatment is also carried out in patients who are at risk for gastric cancer, gastric ulcers, or duodenal ulcers. The goals of treatment are to relieve symptoms and treat the infection.
Infection treatment Helicobacter pylori generally done by giving a combination of two or more types of antibiotics and drugs that can reduce stomach acid. The following are types of drugs that can be used to treat infections: Helicobacter pylori:
- Proton pump inhibitor drugs, such as lansoprazole, esomeprazole, rabeprazole, and pantoprazole, to reduce the production of stomach acid
- Antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, metronidazole, clarithromycin, and tetracycline, to kill bacteria Helicobacter pylori found in the digestive tract
- Histamine-2 blocking drugs (H2 blockers), as cimetidine and ranitidine, to reduce the production of stomach acid
- Antidiarrheal drugs, such as bismuth subsalicylate, to prevent ulcers from getting worse by protecting the injured stomach lining from stomach acid
To speed up healing and prevent the condition from worsening, patients are advised to avoid foods that can hinder healing, such as spicy and acidic foods. In addition, patients are also advised not to consume alcoholic beverages and not to smoke.
The doctor will ask the patient to do routine examinations to determine the response to treatment and the progress of the disease. Routine examination carried out is examination of feces and urine urea breath test.
Infection Complications Helicobacter pylori
The following are some of the complications that can occur due to infection Helicobacter pylori which is not handled properly:
- Inflammation of the digestive tract (gastritis)
- Stomach bleeding
- Gastric perforation (stomach leak)
- Infection of the peritoneal wall (peritonitis)
- stomach cancer
Infection Prevention Helicobacter pylori
Infection Helicobacter pylori can be avoided by implementing the following preventive measures:
- Avoid consumption of unhygienic food or drink
- Avoid consuming food or drinking water that is not cooked until cooked
- Wash hands before eating and after using the toilet