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Patient Brochure
What is H. pylori?
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of
bacteria that lives in the lining of the stomach or
duodenum (the beginning of the small intestine).1
In the past, we thought that spicy food and
emotional stress were the major causes of ulcers,
we now know that 9 out of 10 ulcers are caused
by H. pylori infection.1
Approximately two-thirds of the world’s
population is infected with H. pylori.2 In the
United States it is more common in older adults,
although about 20 percent of Americans under 40
have this infection.3
Most Americans never know if they have H. pylori
because they never develop symptoms serious
enough for them to see their physicians.
It is not known how H. pylori is transmitted or why
some people develop symptoms while others do
not.2 Certain lifestyle factors, such as smoking
and heavy drinking, may increase that risk.4 Now
that scientists know that most ulcers are caused
by an infection, many can be cured with the right
therapeutic regimen.1
References
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