What is H Pylori
Many people have heard of H pylori before but still really want to know the answer to the question.. what is H pylori?
What is H Pylori?
Helicobacter pylori (often abbreviated as H pylori) is a corkscrew-shaped bacterium which has a nasty habit of colonizing the gastrointestinal tract of humans.
Its claim to fame is that it is the primary cause of ulcers and stomach ulcer symptoms in humans. It also has been linked to stomach cancer and general symptoms of indigestion (heartburn, nausea, and loss of appetite).
Much of the world’s population (some estimates point to as high as 50%) is infected with H pylori. Understandably, you may wonder why H pylori is only now becoming a household word despite its prevalence. That in and of itself is a different story altogether.
What is H Pylori – The “Discovery”
The unusual thing about H pylori is that while a few scientists and doctors have over the last hundred years have discovered H pylori and presented evidence that it was the cause of ulcers, this was written off for many years by the medical community at large.
It was only after a medical doctor (Marshall) met a medical researcher (Brown) that these two could collaborate and bring H pylori to the forefront of the medical community.
This was not an easy task. Despite Warren being able to clearly demonstrate biopsy materials containing H pylori, much of mainstream medicine resisted the idea that bacteria could colonize and even thrive in the harsh conditions of the stomach.
After enduring years of ridicule, having scientific papers rejected, the Warren and Marshall movement finally gained enough traction and firmly secured the use of antibiotics (surgery was the treatment of choice at the time) that modern H pylori treatment protocols were established.
For their contributions, Warren and Marshall were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2005.
How Do People Catch H Pylori?
Naturally, if you want to know what is H pylori, you also want to know how people catch it. Unfortunately, science has not advanced that far yet. The vector of transmission is quite unclear.
The only thing that is well-established is that hygiene plays a very important role in the prevention contracting this infection. As a result, developing nations have an increased rate of infection. As a result, we know it is at least somewhat contagious. However, we have no idea whether it is something that could pass between spouses and family members by simple interaction or if direct contact is needed.
In his official Nobel Prize interview, Marshall remarked that although the transmission vector is unknown, 30% of the people in Peru will catch H pylori simply by drinking the water. The sanitation practices of a country (including having running water and toilets) seems to be important.
As a result, any traveling abroad risks the contraction rate of H pylori, as does eating in places where food could be contaminated. Restaurants and particularly buffets are notorious for food contamination.
What to Do
If you have H pylori symptoms, the first step is is to get an H pylori test.
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