Kissing can also spread the HP virus

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Vu Huy Binh - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. Doctor has 09 years of experience in the field of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common bacterial infections in the world, second only to tooth decay bacteria. Helicobacter pylori is the main cause of chronic stomach pain such as peptic ulcer, even stomach cancer. So is HP virus contagious, and in what ways?

Helicobacter pylori can be transmitted from one person to another in many different ways. Not only sick people but all of us are at risk of HP infection when exposed to the source of the disease.
Helicobacter pylori can be completely spread from a carrier to a healthy person through the following ways:
Transmission from mouth to mouth: HP bacteria are mainly transmitted through this route, by contact with saliva or secretions. digestive tract of the patient to the healthy one. Often in the family there is a person infected with HP, other people are likely to be infected too. Spread from the stomach to the mouth: Due to the habit of eating raw food, it is possible to be infected with HP bacteria, bacteria excreted in feces, this is the source of the spread. Some other ways: HP can also be infected through general examination tools and equipment at medical facilities such as dental instruments, gastroscopy.... Therefore, the cleaning and sterilization of the medical equipment after use is necessary to avoid infection with H. Besides, kissing can also spread HP but the risk is low.

Currently, in Vietnam, more than 90% of the population suffers from gastritis caused by H. And what is more remarkable is that HP bacteria have the ability to spread from sick people to healthy people. They usually do not cause any noticeable symptoms during their existence in the human body. Moreover, they also cause other damage such as stomach ulcers and more seriously, stomach cancer.
Therefore, HP bacteria are really dangerous.

In fact, HP bacteria are easy to kill, but they are a type of bacteria that are easily resistant to drugs. Therefore, the best way to treat HP is to visit hospitals and medical facilities.
Using invasive methods: Conduct gastroscopy to evaluate the patient's gastric ulcer status. After the endoscopy is complete, the doctor will take a tissue sample for rapid testing (Urea or Chlorine), histopathology or bacterial culture. Using a non-invasive method: the following 3 ways can be used to detect HP infection without gastroscopy: Breath HP test with C13 or C14 Perform a test to find HP present in stool Test blood test for antibodies. All subjects can be infected with HP, so everyone needs periodic health checks to detect early and have timely treatment.