What is Helicobacter pylori, and what are the causes?

H pylori bacteria is a bacteria commonly found in the stomach, but when it flourishes out of control it can cause many problems. The bacterium does not harm a person unless it grows unchecked. If the stomach acid is not strong enough to keep the Helicobacter pylori at bay, ulcers can develop as well as many other problems such as nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea and cramps.

While most of these conditions don’t sound that bad, they are just something you learn to live with, the presence of H pylori is now being linked to the development of stomach cancer. While this tends to happen with people who leave it unchecked for long periods of time, there is no clear cut way to determine how many of the cases go from a simple infection to full blow stomach cancer. This can be a fast growing and dangerous type of cancer, so it is important you seek the opinion of a medical professional if you have persistent stomach problems.

In order to get an Hpylori test, you have to consult your doctor. There are a number of ways they can look into your problem. The Upper GI X-Ray series or the endoscopy are the most invasive and are usually done as a follow up to other tests to find out the extent of your infection. A blood test, stool test or area breath test can all be done first to see if there is anything to be concerned about.

You should definitely consider all of the tests if you are experiencing frequent vomiting and most especially if it appears to have blood in it. Black stools are another worrisome side effect and should be brought to the attention of your physician immediately. No matter if you are feeling otherwise fine or not, long term stomach issues can lead to any number of other health problems. It is your main source of nutrition and if your body is not working properly you need to know about it. It may be something that is easy to ignore, but the longer you go, the worse the damage might be.