Helicobacter pylori

About Heliobacter Pylori:

• It is a common type of bacteria that grows in the digestive tract and tends to attack the stomach lining. 
• It is adapted to live in the harsh, acidic environment of the stomach.
• It infects a person usually during childhood. Its infections are usually harmless, but they’re responsible for most ulcers in the stomach and small intestine.
• Infections with H. pylori affect over 43 percent of the world’s population with a wide range of gastrointestinal disorders, including peptic ulcers, gastritis, dyspepsia and even gastric cancer.
• How does it survives in stomach?
  • This bacterium can change the environment around it and reduce the acidity so it can survive more easily.
  • The spiral shape of H. pylori allows it to penetrate the stomach lining, where it’s protected by mucus and the body’s immune cells can’t reach it. 
• When signs or symptoms do occur with H. pylori infection, they are typically related to gastritis or a peptic ulcer and may include:
  • An ache or burning pain in stomach (abdomen)
  • Stomach pain that may be worse when your stomach is empty
  • Nausea, Loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss etc.
• Treatment: It typically involves a combination of antibiotics and a proton-pump inhibitor (a drug that reduces your stomach acid) for up to 14 days. This treatment is sometimes referred to as triple therapy.

Q1: What is Bacteria?

These are microscopic single-celled prokaryotic organisms that play a crucial role in the ecosystem and have a significant impact on human health. Bacteria can be found all over the world, including the top of the mountains or the deeper trenches in the oceans.

Source: PIB

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