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Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) and GastritisH. Pylori is a bacteria that can cause a chronic infection in the stomach.
The symptoms of infection include bloatedness, nausea, burping and upper abdominal pain. It is associated with peptic ulcer disease (gastric ulcers), gastritis and even gastric malignancies (cancer). If you have persistent symptoms and have been on medication for treatment without much improvement, then you should consider getting tested for H Pylori. There are a few ways that we can test for it.
Blood Test The blood test is a convenient and affordable option that can be done in the clinic. There is no fasting required. However this test may not be accurate. A Negative test does not mean that there is no H. Pylori infection. The cost of this blood test in our clinic is $37. Carbon Urea Breath Test The Breath Test is considered the best approach for the initial diagnosis and as a follow up confirmation test for cure. It is also known as the Carbon Urea Breath Test (C-UBT). This test can be done in the clinic. But it requires fasting and in our clinic, we do it by appointment. The C-UBT involves collecting a sample of your breath in a bag and then taking a carbon13 pill to be swallowed. After 15 to 20 minutes, another sample of your breath is taken. The samples will be sent to the lab and results takes about 2 days. However, compared to the blood test, it is more expensive and in a sense less convenient. The cost of this test in our clinic is $214 (after including gst). Gastroscopy Gastroscopy needs to be done when there are red flags present. These include weight loss, vomiting blood, black colour stools, worsening of symptoms or persistent symptoms despite treatment in older patients. This list is not exhaustive. During the Gastroscope. A Biopsy can be done for H.Pylori. At the same time, the specialist can assess the extent of the gastritis and the severity of the condition. However Gastroscopy can only be done in the tertiary hospitals and only by qualified specialists. You will need a referral for this. Talk to us about getting tested. |