Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria. Researchers recently discovered that H. pylori causes almost all peptic ulcers, accounting for 80 percent of stomach ulcers and more than 90 percent of duodenal ulcers. H. pylori infection is common in the United States: about 20 percent of people under 40 and half of people over 60 are infected with it.
Most infected people, however, do not develop ulcers. Why H. pylorus doesn’t cause ulcers in every infected person is unknown. Most likely, infection depends on characteristics of the infected person, the type of H. pylori, and other factors yet to be discovered.
Researchers are not certain how people become infected with H. pylori, but they think it may be through food or water.
Researchers have found H. pylori in some infected people’s saliva, so the bacteria may also spread through mouth-to- mouth contact such as kissing.
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How Does H. pylori Cause a Peptic Ulcer?
H. pylorus weakens the protective mucous coating of the stomach and duodenum, which allows acid to get through to the sensitive lining beneath. Both the acid and the bacteria irritate the lining and cause a sore, or ulcer. H. pylori is able to survive in stomach acid because it secretes enzymes that neutralize the acid. This mechanism allows H. pylori to make its way to the “safe” area-the protective mucous lining. Once there, the bacterium’s spiral shape helps it burrow through the mucous lining.