Helicobacter pylori

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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