Health

The presence of Helicobacter pylori in your body has been confirmed by an examination. This widespread bacterium is responsible for several gastric diseases, including ulcers. It must therefore be eradicated, that is, made to disappear from your body.

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF ERADICATING HELICOBACTER PYLORI?

Helicobacter pylori is responsible for a chronic infection of the stomach, involved in the development of duodenal and gastric ulcers, as well as in the onset of gastric cancers. Its eradication helps treat stomach lesions and prevent their progression to more serious pathologies.

IN WHICH CASES IS TREATMENT NECESSARY?

The eradication of Helicobacter pylori is essential if you suffer from one of the following diseases:

• duodenal ulcer;
• gastric ulcer;
• gastric MALT lymphoma (lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue).

Furthermore, Helicobacter pylori is the main risk factor for gastric cancer. Its eradication therefore prevents the risk of cancer and slows the progression of lesions. If you are a carrier of the bacteria and have a family or personal history of gastric cancer, or if you are due to undergo bariatric surgery (obesity surgery), eradication of the bacteria is necessary.

Finally, eradication is also recommended if you are required to take long-term treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), as Helicobacter pylori is an additional risk factor for peptic ulcers under NSAID treatment.

HOW WILL I BE TREATED?

There are several methods to eradicate Helicobacter pylori. These methods combine the taking of 3 or 4 medications, including antibiotics, to be taken separately or combined in a single capsule. Your doctor will prescribe the method best suited to your personal situation, your history and/or any allergies you may have. If you are allergic to an antibiotic, do not forget to tell your doctor.

WILL I NEED TO BE MONITORED AFTER THIS TREATMENT?

A follow-up is essential to check the effectiveness of the treatment. It must be carried out at the earliest 4 weeks after the end of treatment. The most common method for checking eradication is the urea breath test. This test is easy to perform; it consists of exhaling into a tube twice, having drunk between the two exhalations an orange juice containing a solution allowing the activity of the bacteria to be detected thanks to a simple chemical reaction that it causes on contact.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF THE BACTERIA IS STILL PRESENT IN MY BODY AFTER MY FIRST TREATMENT?

It may happen that the bacteria is resistant to certain antibiotics, that it is not sensitive to them. If this is the case and the test reveals the presence of Helicobacter pylori in your body after a first treatment, your doctor will prescribe a new one, different from the first. A new test will be carried out one month after stopping this second treatment.

If the bacteria is still present, your doctor will prescribe an additional examination to determine precisely the treatment most likely to eradicate the Helicobacter pylori present in your body.

HOW LONG WILL MY TREATMENT LAST?

The total duration of your treatment depends on the sensitivity of Helicobacter pylori to the medications prescribed by your doctor. It can range from 10 days to a few months, including the necessary downtime between stopping the products and the control tests.

The eradication of Helicobacter pylori is essential to treat certain gastric diseases such as ulcers and prevent others. In addition to the drug treatment prescribed by your doctor, effective in 90% of cases, quitting smoking is recommended because smoking halves the effectiveness of the eradication treatment.