If one person is infected, the whole family will be infected. More than half of the people in our country are infected with this bacteria!

Recently, a man in Nanjing, Jiangsu suffered from stomach pain and discomfort, and later tested positive for Helicobacter pylori infection in his entire family.

According to statistics, more than half of the people in my country are infected with Helicobacter pylori, and the main route of transmission is "oral-to-oral". Sharing a meal can easily infect the whole family, and many patients develop drug resistance.

Helicobacter pylori is a very special bacterium, with an infection rate of over 50% in the global natural population. The probability of infection with Helicobacter pylori varies significantly in different regions of my country, with an average infection rate of 59%, of which the average infection rate in children is 40%.

△ Helicobacter pylori/data map

70% of people infected with Helicobacter pylori have no symptoms

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral-shaped bacillus that colonizes the human gastric mucosa. Humans are its only host and source of infection. Data show that most Helicobacter pylori patients are found during physical examinations. 70% of people have no symptoms after being infected with Helicobacter pylori, 10% may have indigestion, and 10% to 20% may have peptic ulcers.

Once the human body is infected with Helicobacter pylori, the normal gastric mucosa will become inflamed, that is, chronic superficial gastritis and chronic atrophic gastritis will occur. Data show that more than 90% of chronic gastritis is caused by Helicobacter pylori.

Without intervention and treatment, gastric mucosal cells are overwhelmed and unable to complete the repair task. They can only use intestinal cells to repair, which may further lead to precancerous lesions such as low-grade lesions and high-grade lesions, and finally even malignant transformation into cancer. After infection, gastric mucosal cells will undergo a series of changes: normal gastric mucosa → chronic superficial gastritis → chronic atrophic gastritis → intestinal metaplasia → dysplasia → gastric cancer.

The current international consensus is that Helicobacter pylori gastritis is an infectious disease, regardless of whether there are symptoms and complications. However, there is no need to be afraid of being infected with Helicobacter pylori. As long as standardized treatment is given, more than 90% of patients can be eradicated.

Helicobacter pylori “eaten”

Most likely to be infected at the dining table

When dining out, if the restaurant's bowls and chopsticks are not disinfected to standard, or if several people do not use serving chopsticks when eating together and pass food to each other, it may cause infection.

Spicy food

Since spicy food can easily irritate the gastric mucosa, the stomach's resistance will decrease, leading to the invasion of Helicobacter pylori.

Eat raw

Eating steaks medium-rare or even rare, and eating hotpot meat before it's cooked through, will create the potential for infection with Helicobacter pylori.

Learn 5 tips to prevent infection

Disinfection of tableware and separate meals can prevent

Do not eat raw or hot food

Do not feed food mouth to mouth

Wash your hands and clean your mouth promptly

High-risk groups should have regular physical examinations

When you go to the hospital for a physical examination, you can effectively detect Helicobacter pylori through gastroscopy and carbon 13 urea breath test. Once diagnosed, you should go to a regular hospital as soon as possible. People at high risk of Helicobacter pylori should undergo gastroscopy every 2 to 3 years. Adults under 50 years old need to undergo gastroscopy every 3 years; those over 50 years old need to undergo gastroscopy every 2 years.

▌Source: CCTV News (ID: cctvnewscenter)