Helicobacter pylori infection is attracting more and more attention

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic has made people pay more attention to disease prevention and control. In recent years, the problem of Helicobacter pylori infection has attracted more and more attention. Zhong Xiaolin, deputy chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, said that Helicobacter pylori infection is the main cause of gastritis and peptic ulcer, and is also a high-risk factor for gastric cancer.

Helicobacter pylori is a "star bacterium" in the digestive tract. Dr. Zhong Xiaolin introduced that Helicobacter pylori is a spiral bacterium with a flagellum at one end. It has a "special liking" for humans, and humans are its only natural host. It is currently the only known bacterium that can survive in the high acid environment of the stomach. It can break through the gastric mucosal barrier, parasitize in the gastric antrum and pylorus, and spread through the oral-oral and fecal-oral routes.

Dr. Zhong Xiaolin said: "Helicobacter pylori is not only the main pathogenic factor of many common digestive tract diseases such as chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer, but is also closely related to the occurrence of MALT lymphoma and gastric cancer. Therefore, it is listed as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization."

Infection with Helicobacter pylori may cause a variety of clinical symptoms such as upper abdominal pain, fullness, bad breath, etc., but there may also be no clinical manifestations. So how do we determine whether there is Helicobacter pylori? Dr. Zhong Xiaolin said that the presence of Helicobacter pylori can be observed through microscopic examination of gastric mucosal sections, and the corresponding antibodies and antigens can also be detected through blood and stool. There is also a method of taking a pill on an empty stomach and blowing air to check - carbon 13 or carbon 14 breath test. This test is painless, highly sensitive, and highly specific. It is a non-invasive test method.

If you are unfortunately infected with Helicobacter pylori, please do not panic, go to the gastroenterology department and let the specialist help you get rid of Helicobacter pylori. Dr. Zhong Xiaolin said that usually only oral medication for about 2 weeks is needed, and 80-90% of patients can eradicate Helicobacter pylori, but some patients still fail to eradicate due to irregular treatment or drug resistance, and some patients will be re-infected. Therefore, a regular treatment plan and maintaining good hygiene habits after treatment to prevent re-infection can keep you worry-free!

Dr. Zhong Xiaolin recommends that the following aspects should be taken into consideration to prevent Helicobacter pylori infection: wash hands frequently, especially before and after meals; try to implement a separate dining system when dining in groups, and encourage the use of public chopsticks and spoons; pay attention to food hygiene, do not eat raw food, do not drink raw water, and avoid eating food from roadside stalls; maintain oral hygiene, and disinfect tableware regularly.

||||