Patient's question:
My colleague has been feeling nauseous and having a poor appetite recently. After a check-up, it was found that they were infected with Helicobacter pylori. So, I wanted to ask what this means.Doctor's answer:
Helicobacter pylori is a type of microorganism that primarily exists in the stomach and is also a cause of certain digestive system diseases, such as gastritis and gastric ulcers. Due to its spiral shape, it is called Helicobacter. The length of Helicobacter pylori is generally between 2.5 to 4.0 micrometers, and its width is between 0.5 to 1.0 micrometers. On the surface of gastric mucosal epithelial cells, Helicobacter pylori typically appears in a spiral or curved shape. The most commonly used method for detecting Helicobacter pylori is the 13C urea breath test.