As a type of carcinogen of gastric cancer, Helicobacter pylori must be familiar to everyone.
This is a microanaerobic bacterium that can survive and multiply in strongly acidic gastric juices, easily causing chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers, and even increasing the risk of gastric cancer.
According to conservative estimates by the World Gastrointestinal Organization, at least half of the world’s population is currently infected with Helicobacter pylori.
And my country is the country with the largest number of Helicobacter pylori infections, and the infection rate is as high as 59%, which is equivalent to half of the Chinese people are infected by this bacterium
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Faced with the infection of so many people, I believe many people are worried—-
Are we unknowingly infected with this kind of bacteria? In the face of this kind of bacteria, how can you tell whether you have been recruited?
Don’t worry, let’s unravel some of the mysteries behind Helicobacter pylori.
Helicobacter pylori, what are the main ways to get infected?
Helicobacter pylori-infected individuals may be infected with Helicobacter pylori by the presence of bacteria in the mouth, kissing, chewing, feeding, and sharing utensils.
In addition, Helicobacter pylori can also be present in the feces of people infected with Helicobacter pylori. Once the feces contaminate drinking water sources and food, the bacteria can spread.
Young children are susceptible to Helicobacter pylori
Compared with adults, the gastric acid environment of young children is more suitable for the survival and reproduction of Helicobacter pylori. In addition, many elders have the habit of chewing and feeding, which will also increase the incidence of young children. Risk of Helicobacter pylori infection in children.
According to surveys, the proportion of young children under the age of 10 in my country infected with Helicobacter pylori is as high as 60%!
Halitosis, not necessarily H. pylori infection
Some people infected with Helicobacter pylori have symptoms of abnormal bad breath, which leads many people to think that bad breath is infected with Helicobacter pylori.
But in fact, most people with Helicobacter pylori infection have no obvious symptoms. If it is not found by physical examination, they may not know they are infected.
Halitosis is not necessarily caused by Helicobacter pylori. It is more likely that the oral cavity is not cleaned thoroughly, resulting in bacterial residues and odor.
H. pylori does not necessarily cause gastric cancer
Clinical data show that there is a certain link between Helicobacter pylori and gastric cancer, but people suffering from gastric cancer only account for only 2% of patients with Helicobacter pylori infection .
Therefore, being infected with Helicobacter pylori does not mean that you will develop stomach cancer, and it is also a chronic development process from infection to disease, which takes about 10 years on average.
As long as it is treated in time and the bacteria are completely killed, serious gastrointestinal diseases can be prevented, and the risk of gastric cancer can naturally be reduced.
Is it possible to get infected with Helicobacter pylori by kissing someone?
In the first case, your object is not necessarily a person infected with Helicobacter pylori.
In the second case, even if he or she is infected, the amount of Helicobacter pylori in the mouth is low and it is difficult to spread it through kissing.
Study Shows: In adults, the risk of new infection with Helicobacter pylori may beThe probability of re-infection after eradication of Helicobacter pylori is relatively low, and the infection rate is only 1.5% even after eradication.
Therefore, the probability of infection by adult kissing is not high, but if you still mind, and the other party happens to be infected, then take him/her to eradicate it in time under the guidance of a doctor!
How can we prevent Helicobacter pylori in our life?
At present, the specific transmission route of Helicobacter pylori is not clear, but scientists speculate that it is most likely to be “oral-oral” transmission and “fecal-oral” transmission.
Therefore, it is recommended that you clean your hands thoroughly before and after defecation in daily life to cut off the fecal-oral transmission route.
When eating with others, pay attention to separate meals or use public chopsticks to avoid word-of-mouth transmission of germs; sterilize tableware regularly and avoid eating raw food or drinking raw water.
Elders should quit the bad habit of chewing and feeding their children.
The so-called rapid test strips spread on the Internet can detect infection?
Currently the most popular rapid test paper on the market is Urease Rapid Test.
This test is also used in gastroscopy. After all, basically only Helicobacter pylori can produce urease in the stomach, and there are many bacteria in the mouth that can produce urease, not necessarily pylori caused by Helicobacter.
If you are really worried, you might as well go to the hospital for a ‘breathing experiment’. If you have obvious symptoms, you need to seek medical examination in time to rule out some ulcers, tumors, etc., which is more important than self-testing precise.
References:
[1] Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in children. Chinese Journal of Pediatrics. 2015.
【2】Xie Yong. Long-term follow-up of Helicobacter pylori reinfection and its risk factors after first eradication: a large-scale, multicenter, prospective, open-cohort observational study. Emerg microbial infection, 2020 Dec;9(1).