Feeling Tired, Stomach Pains and Black Stools: Could it be a stomach bacteria?

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Recently Abbott ran an interesting advertisement to bring awareness the Helicobacter pylori in the stomach that can cause the following symptoms:

• feeling tired without an obvious reason
• burning, cramping or hunger like pain in the stomach area, often between meals and in the early morning hours
• black tarry or bloody stools (which means there is a bleeding ulcer)
• nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite.

The company suggested that if you suffer from the signs above, you may want to consider getting a H.pylori Serology test done at participating clinics.

The ad also mentioned that H. pylori causes discomfort, ulcers and increase the risk of stomach cancer by 6 fold.  Like the connection between HPV virus and uterus cancer, if you show the above signs, you may also want to get a test done as well as adopting healthy eating habits. If you have been found to have the bacteria, at least the bacteria can be controlled by appropriate treatment.

Just on 10 July 09, The Star paper reported that the Galas state assemblyman aged 45 has been diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer.  Cancer related to the digestive system are getting to be more common by the way largely due to dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle. A gastric attack or constant stomach spasms and pain are considered normal and a by-product of a hectic and demanding corporate lifestyle- but if the pain is happening too often, it is wise to really consider getting a check-up done, exercising and eating more fiber and less processed/fatty foods.

Further reading on the web on Helicobacter pylori:

• Helicobacter Foundation– foundation that provides the latest news pertaining to diagnosis, treatment and clinical perspective
• Helicobacter pylori as defined in Wikipedia
• Getting to know H. pylori – previous article in The Star