Download What are The Risks of Having H.Pylori?

What is Helicobacter Pylori?
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This bacterium infects the lining of the stomach and thrives in the mucous
environment. It is common worldwide and especially impacts the elderly,
the very round, and those in Third World countries where sanitation is
problematic. However, just because you have been exposed to H. pylori
doesn’t necessarily mean you will be affected by its presence. Often H.
pylori does not cause any symptoms. Approximately 50 percent of people
in the United States have it.
What are The Risks of Having H.Pylori?
For many years, physicians thought ulcers in the upper gastrointestinal
tract were related to stress, ‘Type A’ personality, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory class of medicines that include aspirin and other over-the-counter pain relievers commonly used for arthritis
and other conditions. Recently
researchers
have discovFundus
ered that H.
pylori is
100%
Acute
/
Chronic
actually
the
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Gastritis
cause
for
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hg
REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT
Gastric Ulcer
Gastric Atrophy
ulcers.
An
10%
ulcer is
a
defect in
the lining
of an organ,
in this case,
1%
the stomach or
duodenum (the
Duodenal Ulcer
Gastric Cancer
first portion of the
small intestine). The
most common ulcer symptom
is a burning pain in the
abdomen. The pain often happens when the stomach is empty and may be
relieved by eating food or taking antacids. Sometimes ulcers bleed. If the
bleeding is heavy, blood may appear in vomit or bowel movements, which
may appear dark red or black.
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Avoiding these
certain foods can
help minimize pain
caused by H. Pylori
Infections
• Low-Fiber Grains – To
make sure you’re getting
plenty of fiber, replace
refined-grain products in
your diet, such as instant
rice, pretzels and egg
noodles, with whole-grain equivalents, such as
brown rice, oatmeal and
popcorn.
• Spicy Foods – they are
worth preventing once an
H.Pylori infection sets in
include jalapeño and
cayenne peppers, salsa,
Asian curries, miso paste
and spicy mustard.
Replace hot peppers with
fruits and vegetables
such as apples, celery,
onions, garlic and
cranberries, which may
help slow the growth of
H. pylori.
• Coffee, Caffeine and
Carbonated Drinks –
Choose flat water and
less-acidic beverages
such as low-fat milk and
herbal teas instead.
• Pickled Foods – In a
study published in the
“Journal of the American
College of Nutrition” in
2005, researchers
analyzed the diets of 771
adults with and without
gastric cancer history.
While high vegetable
intake was associated
with a lowered risk for
gastric cancer, high
intake of pickled foods
appeared to increase it.
What are The Risks of....
H. pylori can also cause a painful inflammation of the stomach called
gastritis. The symptoms of gastritis are upper-abdominal burning/pain,
bloating, and discomfort. Long-term infection of the stomach with this
bacterium may lead to chronic atrophic gastritis (inflammation and damage
to the lining of the stomach), which in turn is a risk factor for pre-cancerous
changes and cancer of the lining of the stomach. H. pylori infection is
also associated with another type of stomach cancer involving white blood
cells, called lymphoma despite these risks, the vast majority of people who
carry this bacterium in their stomachs never develop cancer.
How is H.Pylori
Infection Diagnosed?
Your physician can use a blood test, a breath test, or an endoscopy.
Blood Test Your physician sends a sample of your blood to a lab to
confirm if you have H. pylori.
Breath Test In this test you drink a special liquid, and in less than an
hour, a sample of your breath is tested for a chemical
reaction caused by H. pylori.
Endoscopy A small tube with a camera inside is inserted through the
mouth or nose, passing into the stomach to look for
inflammation and ulcers. During the procedure, a biopsy,
or small sample of the stomach lining, can be obtained.
This biopsy will be examined under a microscope by a
surgical pathologist, preferably one specializing in gastro
intestinal pathology, and a diagnosis of H. pylori infection
or other unexpected abnormality can be established or
excluded.
Transmission of H.pylori
How did I get it?
The routes of transmission are not totally clear but the most likely route is person to person.
Transmission
Oral-Oral – is
Iatrogenic - The
first, and most
frequent, mode
of transmission
is iatrogenic, in
which tubes or
endoscopes that
have been in
contact with the
gastric mucosa
of one individual
are used for
another patient.
Occupationally
acquired infections — usually
in which infection is transmitted from a
patient to staff
member — have
also been
reported,
especially
among endoscopists and
gastroenterologists.
the 3rd possible
route of transmission. Few
Faecal – the
2nd possible
route of transmission. H.
pylori has been
isolated from the
faeces of
infected young
children but
isolation from
adults’ faeces
has been rare.
reliable studies
have cultured H.
pylori from the
oral cavity; only
sporadic isolates
from dental
plaque and
saliva have
been recorded.
Water – Statisti-
Zoonotic –
cal and epidemi-
is the
ologic evidence
transmission
that water and
from
poor sanitation,
animals to
rather than
human.
ethnicity or
crowding, are
risk factors of
H.pylori infection.
Practical Tips
Raw broccoli is bursting
with nutrients, but cooked
broccoli is even better for
you since lightly steaming
or stir-frying helps to
The holiday is a perfect
reminder to stop and say
Thank You to all of our
patients. Thank You for
your support and trust in
our practice.
release its beneficial compounds.
Not what we say about
our blessing,
but how we use them,
is the true measure of our
Thanksgiving.
~W.T. Purkiser
Our office will be closed
on Thursday, November
26th and Friday the 27th,
for the Thanksgiving
Holiday. We will be back
on our normal business
hours on Monday,
November 30th
Meet our Doctors
REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT
Dr. Jay K. Kamath
Dr. K.L. Reddy
Sally Follett, ARNP-C
Lina HernandezTumaneng, ARNP-C
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