Classifiying and Treating H Pylori

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Science has a proper procedure for everything. Even classifying bacterium such as Helicobacter pylori needs an exact classification if researchers are to understand this pesky little unicellular organism. H pylori are a bacterium that is incredibly resilient. It is the only organism on the planet that can live indefinitely in the acidic environment of the human stomach. It is the one major cause of all ulcers, barring those found on the skin, such as leg ulcers and skin ulcers. It can cause sickness such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. For someone with a weakened immune system, such as small children or the elderly, this can be life threatening.

Everything in the animal kingdom, the plant world and the bacterium world is classified using methods. It begins with Kingdom and ends with Species. Here is the scientific family and classification for Helicobacter pylori: Kingdom (Bacteria), Phylum (Proteobacteria), Class (Epsilon Proteobacteria), Order (Campylobacterales), Genus (Helicobacter) and Species (Helicobacter pylori). That is quite a mouthful. You probably will never be tested on that so do not worry overly about remembering the details. What you should pay attention to is that it is a bacterium.

Helicobacter pylori are nothing to sneeze at even though it is microscopic. You cannot see these unicellular organisms with the naked eye, but they can most certainly make you very ill. An H pylori ulcer cannot be treated as if it were a normal stomach ulcer or a duodenal ulcer. These organisms are tough. They are the only organisms that can withstand the acidic environment of the stomach. However, there are ways to rid you of this nuisance.

H pylori infections are treated at the same time the ulcer is treated. The typical approach is a three part course of drugs. Of course there is the antibiotic for the actual pylori infection, but there are also two medicines that will heal the ulcer. These two medicines are clarithromycin and pantoprazole. When all three are taken together for a stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer the results are very good and the patient will usually heal.