Hello chava,
Back when I went to college, H. pylori (helicobacter pyori) was known
as Campylobacter pylori, and you may run into that name again. H.
pylori, with its spiral shape, can easily burrow into the stomach
lining, eroding it and allowing the normal stomach acid to ?burn? a
hole, causing a peptic ulcer. It seems people may become infected
through food, drink, and possibly contaminated utensils. The infection
is far more common among people living together in close quarters, and
where sanitation may not be what it should. Some doctors, my own
included, believe many people are infected from restaurant food,
particularly from fast food restaurants. Coffee consumption and stress
may aggravate the condition.
http://www.acu-cell.com/dis-hpy.html
For an illustration of the H.pylori organism, see this page:
http://www.endowsec.com/pated/gifs/egi0051.gif
For an electron microscope photo of H. pylori, see this page:
http://www.ki.se/labmed/labnytt/9801/images/1998.1.3.gif
This National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse site states
that researchers believe that this bacteria causes peptic ulcer.
?About 20 percent of people under 40 years old and half of those over
60 years have it. Most infected people, however, do not develop
ulcers. Why H. pylori does not cause ulcers in every infected person
is not known. Most likely, infection depends on characteristics of the
infected person, the type of H. pylori, and other factors yet to be
discovered.? (This site also has a Spanish version)
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hpylori/#2
The CDC site:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/hpylori_g.htm
West Shore Endoscopy Center web site
http://www.endowsec.com/pated/ecdgs30.htm
There does seem to be some connection to H. pylori infection and
migraines: http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/forum_2/DepressionF/11.3.995.25PMMigrainesand.html
And
This website states that adding yogurt with live cultures (containing
Lactobacillus) can help H. pylori induced migraines.
http://www.antibioticfailure.com/hidden%20dangers/migraine%20_bug.htm
There does appear to be a link between H. pylori and cancer, in some.
From a USA Today article ?"In the current study, patients with
biliary tract cancer were nearly 10 times more likely to harbor
Helicobacter in their bile compared with patients who were without
gallstones or carcinoma." It was already known that the presence of
the organism raises the risk for gastric cancer.? A chronic H. pylori
infection is a risk factor for stomach cancer, but fewer than 1% of
people with a chronic infection actually develop stomach cancer.
http://www.healthscout.com/news/68/8004780/main.html
http://www.healthscout.com/ency/1/91/main.html
Tests for H. pylori:
Currently there are 3 tests for h.pylori; a breath test, a blood
antibody test, and a
The breath test is not readily available yet, and involves ingesting a
small amount of radioactive substance, in one form of the test. The
blood test is considered the test of choice. A drawback of the blood
test is that an H. pylori antibody level persists, even once you are
?cured? of the organism. Occasionally, using endoscopy (a small tube
that can ?see? into your stomach), a small sample of the actual
stomach tissue is collected and ?incubated? in an enclosed test
environment for presence of H. pylori organisms. You may also see some
?home tests for H. pylori? on the internet, but their value is
dubious, and I do not recommend them.
http://www.canadianhp.com/english/non_invasive.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000101/tips/12.html
Please talk with your doctor if you are concerned about having this
infection. If she/he believes you may have an H. pylori infection, you
will be prescribed the appropriate antibiotic. Be sure to take all of
your medication, and follow-up with your doctor.
Lastly, I must remind you that medical information in my answer is
intended as educational, and not to be used to replace sound medical
advice from your own physician. Please refer to the disclaimer at the
bottom of the page.
If any part of my answer is unclear, or duplicates information you
already had, please ask for an answer clarification, and I will
respond as soon as possible.
Regards,
crabcakes-ga
Search Strategy
Camplylobacter
Helicobacter pylori |
Clarification of Answer by
crabcakes-ga
on
15 Nov 2003 15:03 PST
Hello again chava,
First let me say, that some antibiotics may cause reactions in some
patients. This does not mean it will happen to you. The antibiotic
erthyromicin, today commonly prescribed as Zithromax, is known to
cause upset stomach and nausea. Other antibiotics can be used. I agree
that no one should take antibiotics frivolously, but speaking from
experience, one regimen with the right antibiotic can make a
significant difference and help heal any ulcers you may have. Explain
your concern to your doctor. Should you decide to take the
antibiotics, you could eat yogurt with active cultures to help replace
normal intestinal bacteria that are erradicated while bumping off the
H. pylori. Caution: some antibiotics state they should not be taken
with dairy products!
In the first part of my original answer, the only non-antibiotic
"remedy" I could find was the eating of yogurt with live cultures. The
bacteria in this yogurt can check the growth of h. pylori.
I am leary of herbal remedies for this particular disorder. Many
remedies are advertised, but I've found no substantial documentation
that they work effectively, and may aggravate your condition.
"Herbal Remedy - any medication (i.e. chemical substance) prepared
from natural plants. When using herbal remedies, one should be very
cautious about dosage since herbal potency can vary greatly depending
on the source of the herb. Before trying a herb, please consult your
medical doctor and an experienced herbalist rather than experimenting
on your own. Remember, "natural" does not necessarily mean "safe";
some herbal remedies are chemically similar to pharmaceutical
medications."
http://anxiety-panic.com/dictionary/en-dicth.htm
You could try some of the steps outlined in this site such as eating
cabbage, avoiding dairy products, avoiding spicy and fatty foods,
avoiding caffeine and aspirin :
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0953.html
Here are two links to Natural Healers:The Los Angeles Healers website,
where you can locate someone near your home. I am unable to recommend
any one person.
http://www.byregion.net/healers/home/LosAngelesHealers.html
The Natural Resource Directory
http://www.nrd.com/sect2d.html
Calcium tablets such as Tums can relieve the acidity, and strenghthen
your bones at the same time!
Hope this has helped!
Regards, crabcakes-ga
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