Helicobacter pylori Infection and GERD
For patients suffering from both Helicobacter pylori and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), treatment of H. pylori alone doesn’t always relieve the pain. H. pylori has been linked to a wide variety of gastric illnesses, including gastritis, ulcers, and even stomach cancer. GERD, whose symptoms include frequent heartburn, hoarseness, and a chronic dry cough especially at night, can also cause ulcers, as well as scarring and cancer of the esophagus. For people complaining of stomach pain, it’s important to seek medical care to accurately diagnose and treat the conditions. Occasionally, treating for and eradicating only the H. pylori infection causes GERD symptoms to increase.
In some cases, the presence of H. pylori bacteria inhibits the stomach’s natural ability to make acid. Once tests have detected H. pylori and successful treatment of the infection effectively eliminates the bacteria, the stomach is able to produce acid at higher levels. Since GERD is a disease in which stomach acid irritates the esophagus, it is not surprising that these patients experience a worsening of their GERD symptoms after the H. pylori bacteria is eradicated. Once the bacteria is no longer present in the stomach and acid production returns to normal, patients with GERD often need to increase their GERD medication to compensate for the increased acid production.
If you believe you may have GERD or Helicobacter pylori infection, be sure to discuss your symptoms with your doctor. Noninvasive tests such as the BreathID system can quickly detect H. pylori in patients suffering from abdominal pain. Once diagnosed, treatment can begin immediately. If your doctor suspects you may have GERD in addition to H. pylori, your doctor may choose to test you for GERD as well. Only after a positive diagnosis and successful treatment of all conditions will all your symptoms be relieved.
For more information about how the BreathID breath test system is used to detect H. pylori at the point-of-care, please watch a short film on Urea Breath Tests or contact a company representative by completing the contact form.