Helicobacter Pylori and Chronic Gastritis

About this activity

Helicobacter pylori and chronic gastritis refers to a long-term inflammation of the stomach lining caused by infection with H. pylori, a bacteria that lives in the stomach. The organism weakens the stomach’s protective lining and triggers persistent inflammation, which may remain silent for years or cause symptoms such as epigastric pain, bloating, nausea, indigestion, early satiety, and sometimes peptic ulcer disease. H. pylori is the most common cause of chronic gastritis, and nearly all infected people develop some degree of chronic gastric inflammation. If untreated, it may progress to atrophic gastritis, impaired iron or vitamin B12 absorption, ulcers, and increased risk of gastric cancer. Diagnosis is commonly made using stool antigen testing, urea breath test, or endoscopy with biopsy, and treatment involves eradication therapy using acid suppression with antibiotics.