Are you sure the name Youyouguan is not meant to be cute?

What would you do if you found out that your roommate, best friend, parents or significant other is infected with Helicobacter pylori?

Go get a breathalyzer? Eat separately? Can't have a happy dinner together? Can't kiss your boyfriend/girlfriend anymore...

Some time ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its 15th report on carcinogens, pointing out that Helicobacter pylori infection clearly poses a risk of cancer. Once the news was released, it instantly became a hot topic.

As early as 1982, two Australian scientists discovered the existence of Helicobacter pylori. They brought their findings to the United States, intending to discuss research with experts and scholars there. However, they were met with ridicule from other experts, saying that "this is just a normal bacterium in the human stomach and is not pathogenic."

In order to prove their research and obtain evidence that it could cause disease, the two of them swallowed the isolated Helicobacter pylori in anger (how sacrificial they were), and a few days later they did develop symptoms such as gastritis.

Hard work always pays off, and the two eventually won the Nobel Prize for their great discovery of Helicobacter pylori.

What is Helicobacter pylori?

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium that lives in various areas of the stomach and duodenum and is highly acid-resistant. During its long coexistence with humans, no mutually beneficial relationship has been established.

Previously, some research institutions believed that Helicobacter pylori may reduce the incidence of asthma, but as the research deepened, this view was denied.

Helicobacter pylori under an electron microscope, image source: Wikipedia

A large number of studies have shown that the occurrence of intestinal gastric cancer is the result of the combined effects of Helicobacter pylori infection, environmental factors, genetic factors, etc. Infection does not necessarily lead to gastric cancer, but the risk of gastric cancer in infected people is one to five times higher than that of uninfected people.

The development process of common gastric cancer: normal gastric mucosa → chronic superficial gastritis → chronic atrophic gastritis → intestinal metaplasia → dysplasia → gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori infection will accelerate this process.

Helicobacter pylori can be transmitted through oral-oral, gastro-oral, and fecal-oral transmission. In daily life, sharing food utensils, kissing, eating contaminated food, sharing toothbrushes and water cups, etc. can all cause infection. Intra-family transmission is one of the main routes of infection. Prevention and control of infection should be based on the family as a unit. It is recommended to use public chopsticks and spoons for meals within the family to improve bad dining habits.

One person found out, the whole family was screened

If you want to know whether you are infected with Helicobacter pylori, Youyouguan can help you.

At present, the commonly used clinical methods for detecting Helicobacter pylori are divided into invasive and non-invasive methods. The most commonly used non-invasive method is the well-known carbon 13 and carbon 14 breath test, which is simple, fast and highly accurate.

Invasive examination refers to endoscopic biopsy, during which living tissue from the gastric antrum is clamped for rapid urease test or gastric mucosal tissue section staining microscopy. Both of these examination methods have certain risks, and because the samples are relatively limited and superficial, false negatives may occur.

According to the "Fifth National Consensus Report on the Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection", the infection rate in my country is as high as 50%, and the demand for testing is very high. Therefore, more and more products suitable for "consumer self-testing" are on the market, among which Youyou Tube is the first self-testing product approved by the State Food and Drug Administration.

The magical Youyou tube, image source: JD

The Youyou tube detection method is very convenient, realizing an integrated design of sampling and detection. After sampling, insert the sampling stick back into the test tube, shake it for 10 seconds, and read the result ten minutes after pressing the lid.

The Youyou Tube mainly relies on stool testing technology, which determines infection by detecting whether the stool sample contains Helicobacter pylori antigens. Helicobacter pylori settles in the gastric mucosal epithelial cells in the human body, and will detach with the renewal of gastric mucosal epithelial cells. After being digested by the gastrointestinal tract, it is excreted from the body with feces. Therefore, stool antigen testing technology is one of the most direct and effective detection methods.

Truly realize the freedom of experience...

What should I do if I am infected?

Get treatment!

After infection, it is easy to cause chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, increase the risk of gastric cancer, etc. The adverse reactions of patients vary from person to person. Some patients will experience symptoms such as nausea, anorexia, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, indigestion, etc., while some patients have no symptoms.

The current treatment method is mainly oral medication, with standard triple and quadruple treatment methods.

The triple therapy approach mainly includes:

1. Acid suppression treatment. Commonly used drugs include omeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole, etc.

2. Combination treatment with two antibiotics, with penicillin antibiotics being the first choice, such as amoxicillin; in addition, one of clarithromycin, metronidazole, or levofloxacin should be selected for treatment.

The quadruple therapy mainly adds some bismuth, such as bismuth pectin, to the above. The treatment cycle is usually 7-14 days, depending on the patient's condition. In addition, children, the elderly, patients with impaired liver and kidney function or other underlying diseases should be treated with caution.

Image source: Internet

Experiments have confirmed that in children, as immune tolerance is established, the suppressive immune response is more severe than in adults, and children are able to "coexist peacefully" with Helicobacter pylori.

Compared with adults, children with similar symptoms of Helicobacter pylori infection have milder levels of gastric mucosal inflammation, lower incidences of peptic ulcers, and lower probabilities of developing related serious diseases such as gastric cancer and lymphoma.

Secondly, the treatment plan includes antibiotics, and there are fewer types of antibiotics available to children. Long-term use of antibiotics can lead to poor tolerance, disrupt the balance of intestinal flora, and easily cause adverse reactions. After eradication, the probability of reinfection increases with age.

Therefore, according to the 2015 report of the Gastroenterology Group of the Pediatric Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, testing and treatment of asymptomatic children is not recommended. Screening is recommended for children with anemia, chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura and other diseases.

For children with chronic gastritis, gastric lymphoma, long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and a family history of gastric cancer, eradication treatment is recommended. However, for ordinary children, whether to eradicate is actually a measure of "benefit" and "risk". If there is no obvious digestive discomfort such as long-term abdominal pain and bloating, there is no need for detection and eradication.

Even after successful eradication of the disease, you will not be worry-free for life. If you do not pay attention to protection, you may be infected again. Therefore, you must maintain good personal habits, avoid unclean food, and disinfect tableware.

END

Review expert: Wu Xinsheng, deputy chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology, the 371st Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army.

Tadpole Musical Notation original article, please indicate the source when reprinting

Editor/Heart and Paper