What does it mean to be positive for Helicobacter pylori?

Positive Helicobacter pylori suggests the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection in the patient. H. pylori is a class of micro aerobic, bluntly rounded, curved or spiral shaped bacteria that can survive in human gastric juices and cause diseases such as reflux esophagitis, chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, gastric cancer and other illnesses, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, acid reflux, heartburn and so on. The common method of H. pylori detection is carbon 14 breath test. Positive result suggests that the organism has been infected with H. pylori, and two antibiotics such as clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and levofloxacin are commonly used in clinics, combined with a bismuth agent, such as bismuth potassium citrate, and a proton pump inhibitor, such as omeprazole, lansoprazole, and so on, to make a quadruple therapy, in order to eradicate the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Patients who are positive for H. pylori are advised to seek prompt medical attention for a definitive diagnosis and targeted treatment under a doctor’s guidance.