Antibiotics Can Cure Ulcers But Many Sufferers Don't Know It

The good news is that most stomach ulcers now can be cured. The bad news is that many ulcer sufferers have not heard the good news.

Since 1982, when the bacterium Helicobacter pylori was revealed as the main cause of ulcers of the stomach and small intestines in people, physicians routinely have been able to treat - and cure - about 90 percent of all stomach ulcers with antibiotics.

However, before the discovery of H. pylori, the major causes of stomach ulcers were believed to be spicy foods, stomach acid, stress, alcohol and a variety of lifestyle factors. And many people have not learned the newest information. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a nationwide public information effort, in partnership with other government agencies, educators and private industry, to teach the public about H. pylori, its diagnosis, treatment and cure. The Texas Department of Health (TDH) is among the agencies participating in the campaign.

Dr. Kate Hendricks, director of the TDH infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance division, says that even some physicians and health care personnel have been slow in urging patients who might have H. pylori infections to be tested for the bacteria. There are several kinds of tests that can confirm such an infection, ranging from a simple breath test to more extensive exams.

If the tests confirm H. pylori infection, the physician can prescribe antibiotics and an accompanying antacid medicine which usually can cure the infection, including any stomach or upper intestinal ulcers in one to two weeks.

Dr. Hendricks says, "The U.S. public is accustomed to treating conditions described as acid indigestion, sour stomach and other discomforts by taking over-the-counter antacid pills and liquids. A person with ulcers may have burning pain in the upper abdomen, frequently when the stomach is empty between meals and before breakfast."

The pain may last from minutes to hours and may be relieved by antacid pills or snacks. In severe cases, the patient may suffer nausea, loss of appetite and internal bleeding. Unless their symptoms are severe or long-lasting, many patients fail to tell their physicians. Many - perhaps most - of these people may unknowingly be infected with H. pylori, Dr. Hendricks explains. She says that researchers are still looking for the common sources of H. pylori infections, and have yet to recommend ways to avoid infection. "Beyond urging people always to eat properly prepared and handled foods and always to drink water that is known to be safe, we have no steadfast advice on prevention," she says.

About two-thirds of the world's population is infected with the bacteria, although the majority of those infected seldom feel symptoms. In the U.S., the microbes are most often found among older adults, blacks, Hispanics and low-income groups.

The long-term consequences of H. pylori infections are still being studied. Beyond chronic pains, ulcers and stomach inflammation, there is some evidence that stomach cancer may be linked to long-term H. pylori infection. Stomach cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, and is most common in countries such as Colombia and China, where the bacterium infects more than half of the population in early childhood. In the U.S., where H. pylori is less common in young people, stomach cancer rates have decreased since the 1930s.

- From the Texas Department of Health

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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