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Most people who have H. pylori don't have any symptoms. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori for short) is one of the common bacteria (germs) that can live in your stomach. If you have symptoms, it's because H. pylori has damaged the lining of your stomach or the top part of your gut (your duodenum).

Here are some of the symptoms you may have.

• You're most likely to get a gnawing or burning pain between your breastbone and your belly button (doctors call this epigastric pain).
• You usually get the pain when your stomach is empty (between meals), or early in the morning. But it can happen at other times too.
• The pain may last a few minutes or much longer. If you eat something or take an antacid (such as Maalox or Tums) you may feel better.¹

• Heartburn is a burning feeling in your chest.
• Some people also feel liquid coming up into their throat.
• Heartburn is usually caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• There's no evidence that H. pylori causes GERD. But you can get heartburn if you have a stomach ulcer, which may be caused by H. pylori.

• You may feel uncomfortably full or bloated.
• You may also pass a lot of gas.

• Doctors keep changing what they mean by dyspepsia. At the moment, they use it as a way of grouping together all the main symptoms of ulcers. So when your doctor says dyspepsia they mean pain in your stomach or in your gut, plus bloating.
• Dyspepsia isn't the same as heartburn, although some people with heartburn also have pain in their stomach or gut.

Your symptoms will depend on which part of your digestive system has been damaged by H. pylori. For example, your symptoms could be caused by problems in your stomach or your duodenum (the part of your gut just below your stomach). To learn more about your digestion system, see What is H.pylori?

Some of the symptoms you have are similar to the symptoms you get with other diseases, including some kinds of cancer. So you may need to have one or more tests to find out what's causing your symptoms.

Some symptoms suggest that you may have something more serious than an ulcer or GERD. These symptoms include:

• Vomiting blood
• Passing black stools
• Feeling that food sticks in your throat when you swallow
• Losing weight without trying
• Feeling tired for no reason.

If you have black stools or you're vomiting blood, you should call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away. These symptoms could be caused by bleeding in your stomach or your bowel.

These symptoms don't mean for sure that something is seriously wrong. But your doctor may decide that you should have an endoscopy to find out what is causing them. In this test, a doctor uses a long tube with a camera at its end to look inside your throat and stomach.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.