What to do if you are infected with Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium that lives in the stomach and duodenum. It can cause mild chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa, and may even lead to gastric and duodenal ulcers and gastric cancer.

Under normal circumstances, the stomach wall has a perfect self-protection mechanism, but the danger of Helicobacter pylori is that it can break through this natural barrier. The following types of people are more likely to be targeted by it:

Among children in my country infected with Helicobacter pylori under the age of 10, 40% to 60% are under the age of 10, and the number is increasing sharply at a rate of 3% to 10% each year; while the number of infected people over the age of 10 only increases slowly at a rate of 0.5% to 1% each year.

Children living in crowded household environments, especially those sleeping with their parents, are more likely to be infected. Urban households with water supply and drainage systems have lower rates of Helicobacter pylori infection, both for adults and children, than rural households without such systems.

A survey of people living in water-polluted areas found that the Helicobacter pylori infection rate was higher among those who drank pond water than among those who drank well water, while the infection rate was lowest among those who drank tap water.

In life, if the following symptoms occur, you should pay attention: the stomach is always bloated and belching, there will be a noticeable feeling of fullness after eating, but the feeling disappears after you stop eating; upper abdominal pain, the pain is usually irregular and mainly concentrated in the upper abdomen; stubborn bad breath, with a noticeable sour taste, which cannot be eliminated in time by ordinary brushing methods.

If you suspect that you are infected with Helicobacter pylori, you can go to the gastroenterology department of the hospital for a carbon 13 breath test. Of course, there is no need to panic even if you are infected with Helicobacter pylori, as not all infected people need treatment. Currently, it is recommended that the following four types of people should undergo eradication treatment: patients with peptic ulcers (gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers), patients after surgery for early gastric cancer, patients with gastric MALT lymphoma, and patients with chronic gastritis (with mucosal atrophy or erosion).

At present, the main clinical measures to eradicate Helicobacter pylori include:

Quadruple therapy is a gastric acid-inhibiting drug + a gastric mucosal protective agent + two or more antibiotics. It should be reminded that this therapy uses a variety of drugs, and patients must strictly follow the doctor's instructions and take them on time and in the right amount. If stomach discomfort occurs, they must immediately report to the doctor. After stopping the medication, the patient needs to be reviewed in time within the time specified by the doctor to understand the treatment dynamics and confirm the treatment effect. Do not make subjective assumptions and judge your own condition.

Traditional Chinese medicine treatment and disease prevention and treatment emphasize the holistic concept and syndrome differentiation and treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine can be used for prevention and treatment for people with weak constitutions, especially those who have Helicobacter pylori infection at home.

1. Chinese medicine conditioning. You can find a professional Chinese medicine doctor to use Chinese medicine decoctions such as Buzhong Yiqi Decoction to regulate your physical condition according to your personal physical condition, so as to achieve the purpose of replenishing qi and strengthening the spleen, regulating immune function, and enhancing spleen and stomach function.

2. Umbilical moxibustion. By warming the navel with medicine, the heat of the moxa fire can stimulate the body, replenish all deficiencies, harmonize qi and blood, strengthen the spleen and stomach, and dredge the meridians, thereby achieving the effects of preventing diseases, strengthening the body, and prolonging life.

3. Acupoint application. Apply Chinese medicines such as sandalwood and galangal that have the effect of warming the middle and strengthening the spleen to acupoints such as Zusanli, Weishu, and Tanzhong to regulate the spleen and stomach and enhance immunity.

In addition to active treatment, maintaining a healthy lifestyle in daily life, maintaining a stable internal environment, and avoiding dysbiosis in the body are the most fundamental ways to avoid Helicobacter pylori-related diseases. In particular, the following aspects should be paid attention to:

1. Wash your hands frequently, especially before meals; disinfect the dishes and chopsticks, especially when eating with people who are positive for Helicobacter pylori, keep the tableware separate; people infected with Helicobacter pylori should take the initiative to share meals with others.

2. When dining together, the use of serving chopsticks is encouraged.

3. Avoid drinking raw water and eating raw food. In the hot summer, some people are used to eating cold food or drinking raw water to cool off. If the food contains harmful microorganisms and is not fully sterilized, it is also a way to cause Helicobacter pylori infection.

4. Eat less irritating food. Try to eat less hot food, especially hot pot, barbecue, as well as alcohol, coffee and spicy food, which will irritate the gastric mucosa and reduce its resistance, thus creating conditions for the invasion of Helicobacter pylori.

It is important to note that the symptoms of Helicobacter pylori infection are hidden, so physical examinations must be taken seriously. It is recommended that high-risk groups should undergo a gastroscopy every 2 to 3 years (adults under 50 years old should undergo a gastroscopy every 3 years; those over 50 years old should undergo a gastroscopy every 2 years), and ordinary people should undergo a carbon 13 breath test every 1 to 2 years.