As people pay more and more attention to gastrointestinal health, H.pylori (Hp) has gradually entered our eyes, and the rate of people talking about it at the dinner table is getting higher and higher, so more and more people in the outpatient clinic are actively asking for Hp.
So what is Helicobacter pylori? What are its hazards? How to go about treatment? How to prevent it? ......... Let's take you to know this special "guest" in detail today.
What is Helicobacter pylori?
H.pylori (Hp) is a gram-negative bacterium, a microaerobic bacterium, spiraling, S-shaped, or gull-shaped, that may change spherically when antibiotics act. 2-6 flagella at one end, active movement. It can be divided into two types: type I: containing cytotoxin-related genes A (CagA) and vacuotropic degenerative cytotoxin A gene (VacA), which are closely related to gastric disease; type II: no CagA gene.
Route of transmission
Human-to-human transmission is the only route of transmission, mainly through mouth-to-mouth, stomach-mouth, and fecal-oral transmission. It is precisely because it is transmitted by "mouth", so it is recommended that one person in the family has bacteria, and the whole family "tests" together.
Causative factors
CagA and VacA are the main causative agents of HP. Cytotoxin-related gene A (CagA) induces IL-8 release, producing neutrophilic inflammation; vacuolar degenerative cytotoxin A (VacA) causes cell vacuolar degeneration; urease ammonia production causes cell damage.
Main hazards
(1) Destroy the normal structure and function of the stomach;
(2) leads to a decrease or deficiency of stomach acid;
(3) Increase the chance of intestinal infections;
(4) Reduce the body's absorption of iron and vitamin B12;
(5) Acute and chronic gastritis; develop into peptic ulcer and ulcer syndrome;
(6) Pathogenic factors of gastric adenocarcinoma;
(7) Causative factors of gastric lymphoma;
(8) May develop into indigestion of unknown cause;
(9) It may be related to diseases of the oral cavity, skin, blood, cardiovascular and respiratory system, and even pregnancy and pediatrics;
What are the symptoms of HP infection?
(1) Acid reflux and heartburn HP will induce a large amount of gastrin secretion, resulting in excessive stomach acid, which is manifested as acid reflux and heartburn;
(2) Abdominal pain Due to damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum, some patients can have symptoms such as recurrent abdominal pain and a small amount of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract;
(3) Bad breath HP survives in dental plaque, infection occurs in the mouth, which may lead to heavy breath, and there is often a special oral odor in severe cases, no matter how clean, it cannot be removed, HP is one of the direct pathogens that cause oral odor.
Characteristics of HP infection in children
The presence of Hp infection in children is different from that in adults.
(1) The probability of serious diseases in children with Hp infection is very low, most of them have no obvious symptoms after hp infection, and very few children have symptoms of abdominal discomfort, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
(2) Children have a higher chance of re-infection after eradication of Hp infection, while adults have a lower chance of re-infection after eradication of Hp.
(3) Children have a certain spontaneous clearance rate in the process of growth and development, while adults cannot spontaneously clear without treatment after hp infection.
How do I detect if I have HP infection?
(1) The first choice is "carbon 13 breath test", carbon 13, carbon 14 two detection schemes are non-invasive, painless, high sensitivity, accurate, fast results. Due to the radioactive hazards of the carbon-14 breath test, children, pregnant women, nursing women and the elderly and infirm should be used with caution and avoid repeated tests, and C13 does not have these hidden dangers, and is recognized as the best solution for testing for Helicobacter pylori.
(2) Gastroscopy "rapid urease detection", which is an invasive test, through the gastroscope can observe the condition of the gastric mucosa, whether there is serious, ulceration, early cancer, etc., but if Helicobacter pylori is a focal distribution, it is easy to lead to missed diagnosis.
(3) It can also detect feces, urine and blood, etc., and is currently less used in clinical practice.
If you are infected with HP, how can you cure it?
There is currently a diversity of treatment options for Helicobacter pylori, and standardized therapies help to improve the success rate of first eradication of Hp. How to choose the antibiotic regimen requires going to a regular hospital and consulting a doctor to prescribe a prescription. Expert consensus suggests that the optimal age for hp eradication in patients with Hp infection is 18 to 40 years of age.
Make good habits and stay away from HP
(1) Change the diet structure: eat more vegetables and fruits. Appropriately increase legume food and milk, as well as fresh fish, meat, and eggs. Reduce salt intake. Eat less or no smoked foods, reduce the intake of nitrosamine precursor substances;
(2) Change bad eating habits: avoid overeating, three meals are irregular; eating should not be too fast, too hot, too hard. Drink less alcohol and do not smoke;
(3) Wash your hands before meals and after using the toilet;
(4) Regular replacement of dental appliances: it is recommended to use mouthwash and bacteriostatic toothpaste for a period of time to alleviate oral inflammation, and the toothbrush is replaced once every three months;
(5) Establish a meal sharing system and promote the use of public chopsticks and spoons;
(6) Effective Hp vaccine will be an important measure to prevent Hp infection and so on.
(Text/Jia Li Editor/Xu Xiao)