What is HP infection?

HP infection is also known as Helicobacter pylori infection, which is a relatively common gastrointestinal pathogen. It is particularly harmful to the gastrointestinal health of patients, especially those with chronic gastritis, which is often caused by Helicobacter pylori. If the usual treatment is not effective, it is also an important cause of gastric cancer. Therefore, once Helicobacter pylori is detected, timely treatment must be received and attention should also be paid to diet.

harm

The adverse prognosis of Helicobacter pylori disease is gastric cancer, which is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world and ranks second among the causes of cancer death. In our country, about 160,000 people die from gastric cancer every year.

Clinical manifestations

The prevention and control of gastric cancer has attracted increasing attention. Studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori lives in the pyloric area of ​​the human stomach and is one of the most common bacterial pathogens. More than half of the world's population has been infected with Helicobacter pylori, and in some countries almost 90% of the population has been infected with this bacterium.

People are usually infected at a young age, reaching 50% by the age of 5. This bacterial infection first causes chronic gastritis, and then leads to gastric ulcers and gastric atrophy, and in severe cases develops into gastric cancer. According to statistics, the incidence of atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer is high among people who are first infected with Helicobacter pylori at an early age, and there is a parallel relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer mortality. Helicobacter pylori parasitizes in the gastric mucosal tissue. 67% to 80% of gastric ulcers and 95% of duodenal ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori.

Common symptoms of patients with chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers are: upper abdominal fullness, discomfort or pain after eating, often accompanied by other adverse symptoms such as fever, bloating, acid reflux and loss of appetite. Some patients may also experience recurrent severe abdominal pain, small amounts of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, etc. Based on this, experts believe that early detection of Helicobacter pylori infection and timely and effective use of antibiotics to kill Helicobacter pylori are of great significance for the prevention and control of gastric cancer.

Prevention

Medical scientists believe that it is not difficult to completely eliminate Helicobacter pylori. After 1 to 2 weeks of treatment, 90% of people infected with the bacteria can have Helicobacter pylori completely eliminated from their bodies. They suggested that a nationwide survey should be conducted, and at least people who have undergone gastric surgery, have had gastric disease, or have relatives with gastric cancer should be tested for Helicobacter pylori, and those infected should be given bactericidal treatment, which would hopefully control gastric cancer.