Comprehensive Symptom Navigator

Comprehensive Symptom Navigator™

Your health assistant, simplified.

Disclaimer: This is just an assistant. It should not be used for diagnosing patients without a doctor's discretion.

Symptoms:

Start typing, then select symptoms from the dropdown

Number of Conditions: 1

Helicobacter pylori Infection

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Stomach Disorders

Sub-category: Bacterial Infections

Symptoms:
upper abdominal pain; nausea; bloating; loss of appetite; frequent burping; unintentional weight loss; dark stools (if ulcers or bleeding occur)

Root Cause:
Infection of the stomach lining with H. pylori bacteria, which disrupts the protective mucosal barrier and induces inflammation.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urea breath test, stool antigen test, blood antibody test, or endoscopy with biopsy for histology, urease testing, or PCR.

Treatment:
Eradication therapy with a combination of antibiotics and acid-suppressing medications.

Medications:
Antibiotics such as amoxicillin , clarithromycin , and metronidazole or levofloxacin (used in combination for eradication therapy). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like omeprazole or esomeprazole to reduce stomach acid and enhance antibiotic effectiveness. Bismuth-containing compounds (e.g., bismuth subsalicylate ) in quadruple therapy regimens.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 50% of the global population, with higher prevalence in developing countries.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Poor sanitation, contaminated food or water, close contact with infected individuals, living in crowded or resource-limited settings.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent if treated promptly; eradication significantly reduces the risk of gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, increased risk of gastric cancer.