We’ve all had common stomach bugs. The term stomach bug usually refers to certain viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea, not an actual bug. Although they make us feel miserable, the bug usually clears up after a couple days and we can return to our normal lives. However, approximately 50% of us are currently living with a dangerous stomach bug and have no idea. Although not a literal bug or virus, H. pylori is a bacteria which colonizes the stomach and some of the small intestine. Most individuals contract this bacteria early in life (during childhood).
H. pylori bacteria attacks the lining of your stomach, increasing the risk of damage by digestive fluids. This bacteria also secretes an enzyme known as urease and increases the overall acidity of your stomach. Ultimately, your stomach can become inflamed as it can no longer protect itself as efficiently.
The majority of individuals who are living with H. pylori will never experience symptoms. Individuals who do have symptoms experience similar events as those with the common stomach bug. This includes stomach pain, nausea, loss of appetite, frequent burping, and vomiting. However, individuals with H. pylori will experience these symptoms chronically and to a more severe extent. This bacteria is known to be one of the most common causes of stomach ulcers, and in rare cases, stomach cancer.
The good news is that since H. pylori is a bacteria, it can be treated with antibiotics. It’s a relatively effective treatment, however with growing antibiotic resistance it may not be a suitable option in the future. Health care professionals have developed several other methods to fight this bacteria. The first being H2 pump blockers that reduce stomach acid by blocking histamine. There are also proton pump inhibitors that also reduce stomach acid, but by making proton pumps less efficient. Lastly there are stomach acid protectors which both kill bacteria and protect your stomach from the increased acid. However these treatments are only recommended for individuals who are experiencing symptoms, not those who simply have the bacteria present.
Although it is slightly terrifying to know that your body may be housing potentially dangerous bacteria, H. pylori should be the least of your worries. There are millions of microbes crawling all over both the inside and outside of your body which are significantly more deadly than H. pylori.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/h-pylori/symptoms-causes/syc-20356171
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/helicobacter-pylori
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/helicobacter-pylori-infection-and-treatment-beyond-the-basics
Thanks for this post Bella! I am really intrigued about this bacteria since my mom has struggle with it throughout her life. I remember her having surgery in multiple occasions since she developed many ulcers throughout the years. As I began college I remember doing a lot of research on H. Pylori and got really impressed by the way it was found by two Austrialian scientists.
ReplyDeleteI found this cool article that discusses how common the presence of this bacteria is in humans, and how it can be tracked down via genetic information. Also, how this organism is not only present in the human body. It can be found in specific kinds of food and sometimes in water that was exposed to it. This has also become a more and more common finding in people living in developing countries.
Burucoa, C., & Axon, A. (2017). Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection. Helicobacter, 22 Suppl 1, 10.1111/hel.12403. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1111/hel.12403
Is the only good H. pylori a dead H. pylori? Researchers don't really know the answer since many individuals are asymptomatic. We don't really know the exact mechanism of how our immune systems tolerate the bacteria either, but its amazing how they can persist for life. Turns out the H. pylori have adhesins, or cell-surface proteins that allow it to take cover using our gastric mucosas (Kalali et al., 2014). This way they are protected from the acidic pH of the stomach. Another potential mechanism is a unique enzyme called urease, found in some microorganisms and plant seeds, which breaks down urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia (Kalali et al., 2014). Urease is a critical virulence factor as it helps H. pylori in acid resistance and causes a build up of ammonia in the body, therefore it is often used as a biomarker in diagnosing an H. pylori infection (Konieczna et al., 2012). With the big problem of antibiotic resistance, having more knowledge and research on H. pylori's metabolism could also be helpful for future therapies.
ReplyDeleteKalali, B., Mejías-Luque, R., Javaheri, A., & Gerhard, M. (2014). H. pylori virulence factors: influence on immune system and pathology. Mediators of inflammation, 2014, 426309. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/426309
Konieczna, I., Zarnowiec, P., Kwinkowski, M., Kolesinska, B., Fraczyk, J., Kaminski, Z., & Kaca, W. (2012). Bacterial urease and its role in long-lasting human diseases. Current protein & peptide science, 13(8), 789–806. https://doi.org/10.2174/138920312804871094