What is Helicobacter pylori infection?

Helicobacter pylori are a type of bacteria. This germ enters the body and lives in the human digestive system. This can cause stomach infections. After many years it can also cause ulcers. Not only this, in the future, it can also increase the chances of getting colon cancer.

This infection can also happen to young children and this infection is present in half of the world’s population.

You will be surprised to know that people do not even know that they have Helicobacter pylori infection nor do they get sick because of it. If a person shows symptoms of peptic ulcer, then the doctor may advise you to get tested for Helicobacter pylori infection. Antibiotics may be given to treat it.

According to experts, it is not known exactly how this infection spreads. But it is believed that it can be spread through saliva and other body fluids of an infected person, apart from water and food.

What are the symptoms of pylori infection?

It is believed that 85 percent of people suffering from this infection are not aware of its symptoms. However, the symptoms of this infection are as follows:

• Stomach ache
• Getting nausea
• Swelling
• Burp
• Loss of appetite
• Vomit
• Stomach ulcer symptoms

10-20 percent of people suffering from Helicobacter pylori infection are likely to develop stomach ulcers throughout their life.

Gastric or peptic ulcer usually causes abdominal pain. Its other symptoms are as follows:

• Black stool
• Blood in the stool
• Exhaustion
• Breathing problems
• Fainting
• Vomiting blood
• Colon cancer

The most common risk of Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with colon cancer. Not only this infection is the cause of colon cancer, but if another person in one’s family has this problem, obesity, smoking or eating can also be the reason for this problem.

Some of its symptoms are as follows:

• Persistent weakness or tiredness
• Flatulence after meals
• Nausea and vomiting
• Having trouble swallowing
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Blood in the stool
• Weight loss
• Vomit blood

What are the causes of Helicobacter pylori infection?

• Information is not available about what causes Helicobacter pylori infection or how it is spread. This infection can spread from one person’s mouth to another person’s mouth.
• It can also pass through the feces to the mouth. This can happen if a person does not wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathroom.
• This infection can also spread through contact with contaminated water or food.
• This infection can be passed from person to person through direct contact with saliva, vomit or feces.

What are the risks of Helicobacter pylori infection?

• Helicobacter pylori infection can usually start in childhood or from a young age. This infection is more likely to happen to people who spend their childhood in the following situations:
• Living in a crowd: The chances of getting this disease are more to those people, people who live in more people or crowded places.
• Contaminated water: If a person lives in a place where he does not get clean water, then the risk of getting this infection also increases.
• Living in a developing country: People who live in a developing country where there is crowd, cleanliness etc. where people’s lifestyle is dirty, they also have this risk.
• Living with a person who already has this infection increases the chances of getting this disease.

What is the treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection?

If you have a Helicobacter pylori infection, firstly the doctor will ask you about its symptoms, etc.

Not only this, the doctor can test you for colon cancer. In addition, you may be asked to have the following tests:

• Physical examination
• Blood test to know about anemia
• Fecal blood test, in which your stool is examined.
• Endoscopy
• Biopsy- Doctors take a small piece of tissue from your abdomen to check for cancer. Your doctor can do this test during the endoscopy.
• Tests that take detailed pictures of the inside of your body, such as a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Breath test

ALLOPATHIC TREATMENT

Helicobacter pylori infection is treated with two different antibiotics at the same time.

Your doctor may also prescribe an acid-suppressing medicine to help your stomach lining heal.

Acid-suppressing drugs include:

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) – These drugs block acid production in the stomach. Some examples of PPIs are

Omeprazole, Esomeprazole, Lansoprazole, Pantoprazole

Histamine (H-2) blockers- These drugs block a substance called histamine, which triggers acid production. An example of this is cimetidine.

Bismuth subsalicylate- This medicine works by coating the ulcer and protecting it from stomach acid.

Your doctor may recommend that you get tested again for Helicobacter pylori infection at least four weeks after your treatment. If your tests show that treatment has been unsuccessful, you may be given a different combination of antibiotics again.

CAC SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR H.PYLORI

1. Detox Premium Powder
2. Sheeta dhara
3. Digestion support tablet
4. Ulcer heal tablet
5. Puran pachak syrup
6. Kutaj ghan Vati

*Note- The treatment may differ from person to person as per assessment of the patient and severity of the disease.

SOME IMPORTANT TIPS

Some tips might help you in combating H. Pylori infection.

• To get rid of Helicobacter pylori infection, be sure to wash your hands after using the bathroom, before preparing food, before eating food.
• If the water and food are not clean, do not eat or drink it.
• Do not eat anything that has not been cooked properly.
• Do not take food or anything to eat from people whose hands are not washed properly.
• Take special care of cleanliness.
• Avoid consuming caffeinated foods, acidic food or carbonated beverages.
• Eat foods high in fiber such as fruits or vegetables, plain chicken or fish or yogurt.
• Drink plenty of water; this will reduce the problem of acid formation in the stomach.
• Exercise daily, this will keep your energy level.

• Hidradenitis suppurativa is a skin condition that causes hair follicles to become inflamed and infected.
• It often starts with one painful, pea-sized bump that may look like a pimple.
• Usually, many more bumps form.
• The bumps may rupture and begin to drain pus.
• Tunnels called sinus tracts may form under the skin between bumps.
• Hidradenitis suppurativa occurs mostly in areas where skin rubs together, especially if there are nearby sweat and oil glands like:

• • Under the arms or armpits
  • Groin or low on the front of the body, where thighs and abdomen meet
  • Between the buttocks
  • On the anus
  • Under the breasts
  • Around the nipples
  • Stomach folds
  • Neck
  • Behind the ears
• The cause of hidradenitis suppurativa is unknown, but it is not related to poor hygiene or use of personal care products.

Is it a matter of concern?

• It is usually a chronic or long-lasting condition, and may get worse over the years.
• It can affect your quality of life because it’s painful, causes scarring and other changes in the appearance of the skin and sometimes drains pus that has a bad smell.
• It can’t be cured but treatment may help relieve symptoms.
• Living with hidradenitis suppurativa can be quite challenging.
• The symptoms tend to get worse over time, with more ruptured bumps, pain, and leakage of pus, scarring and formation of tunnels under the skin.
• Painful bumps tend to form in places where skin rubs together, making movement difficult.
• The pain, appearance and odor of bumps and tunnels in the skin can make it embarrassing to get close to other people.
• You will likely need regular, ongoing medical care that may involve specialists such as dermatologists (skin doctors) and surgeons.

Prevalence rate-

• Hidradenitis suppurativa is believed to affect between 1 percent and 4 percent of the population.
• It typically starts in a person’s early 20s
• It is more common in:
  • Women
  • African Americans
  • People who are overweight
  • Smokers
  • People with a family history of hidradenitis suppurativa

Easily spreadable or not?

No, hidradenitis suppurativa cannot spread by sharing articles or by coming in contact with the infected person i.e. non-contagious. But if you had a family history of Hidraadenitis suppurativa then you may likely to suffer from this condition.

What are the Symptoms of Hidradentitis suppurativa?

The major symptoms are as follows:

• Painful, pea-sized lumps under the skin
• Pimple-like bumps
• Pus-filled pockets in the skin
• Bad-smelling drainage from ruptured bumps
• Tunnels, known as sinus tracts, under the skin between bumps
• Scarring where bumps have ruptured and healed over
• Depression and anxiety due to the severity of symptoms

Causes of hidradenitis suppurativa

We don’t know what causes hidradenitis suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa begins with hair follicles becoming blocked by the buildup of a protein called keratin. It isn’t known why this blockage happens.

People with hidradenitis suppurativa often have certain other medical conditions as well, although the connection between these conditions and hidradenitis suppurativa is not clear:

• Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of medical conditions that includes
  • Diabetes or insulin resistance
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Excess body fat (obesity)
  • Abnormal cholesterol levels
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Chronic (long-term) inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease
• Atherosclerosis (buildup of fat and minerals, called plaque, in arteries)
• Joint disease such as arthritis

How long does it persists?

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, or long-lasting, condition. Individual bumps may grow, rupture and heal quickly, or last for several weeks. Once the first bump appears you are likely to have more of them. You may have periods of time in which you have no symptoms, but you will probably have repeated outbreaks over time.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

Acne — pimples caused by hair follicles getting plugged up with oil and dead skin cells

Folliculitis — bacterial or fungal infection of hair follicles

Ingrown hair — hair that turns and grows back into the skin, causing inflammation

Boils — infection of hair follicles that form painful bumps that are temporary

How will I know if it gets better or worse?

You’ll know your hidradenitis suppurativa is getting better if the bumps clear up and don’t come back, or come back less frequently.

You’ll know your hidradenitis suppurativa is getting worse if you develop:

• More bumps
• Too much pain to move normally
• Oozing of bad-smelling pus
• Tunnels under the skin between bumps
• More frequent outbreaks

Treatments of Hydradenitis suppurativa

The doctor may prescribe –

• Antibiotics
• Acne washes and medications
• Bleach baths — follow your doctor’s instructions carefully
• Biologics — these medications to suppress your immune system may be injected at home or infused in a medical setting
• Corticosteroids — taken by mouth or injected into your skin
• Hormone therapy — birth control pills (oral contraceptives) or other medications that control hormones
• Methotrexate — a chemotherapy drug that suppresses the immune system
• Laser therapy — can clear hidradenitis suppurativa bumps and destroy hair follicles
• Surgical removal — bumps can be cut out, but may return

AYURVEDA TREATMENT

Chandigarh Ayurved Centre provides the following medications for the treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa-

Chandigarh Ayurved Centre

1. Detox Premium Powder
2. Panchatikta ghrita gugulu
3. Skin care tablet
4. Twaka tailam
5. AloeVera Gulab gel
6. Handmade Neem Soap

Note- The treatment and dose may differ from person to person according to Examination and progress of the disease.

AT HOME RECOMMENDATIONS

In addition to following your doctor’s treatment advice, making some lifestyle changes may help with your hidradenitis suppurativa. You might try:

• Losing weight if you are overweight — this may be the single most effective measure you can take to manage your hidradenitis suppurativa.
• Giving up all tobacco products — tobacco is known to make hidradenitis suppurativa worse.
• Changing your diet — in addition to maintaining an overall healthy diet, avoiding certain foods such as dairy (milk products), red meat and foods with a high glycemic index may be helpful. A dietician can help you come up with a plan.
• Washing daily with an antiseptic wash — wash gently, avoiding rubbing the skin with loofahs or washcloths
• Avoiding tight clothing and personal care products that can irritate skin.
• Not shaving or picking at affected areas.

A halo nevus is a benign i.e. non-cancerous mole that is surrounded by a round or oval patch of depigmentation or skin without any pigmentation. Halo nevi most frequently appear on the back, chest, and abdomen. Halo nevi exist as a single lesion in 50% of cases, and multiple lesions are present in the remainder of cases. Halo nevi are usually asymptomatic.

Any individual can develop halo nevi. They present in up to 5% of Caucasian children between the ages 6 and 15. These nevi occur more frequently in those with an increased number of other types of nevi, as well as those with a personal or family history of vitiligo.

CAUSES OF HALO NEVUS

Halo nevi develop when your body attacks the pigment cells surrounding a mole. The trigger for this response is poorly understood, and is postulated to be associated with minor injury, sunburn.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HALO NEVUS?

The following symptoms can be seen in Halo Nevus-

• Brown or black mole
• Round or oval patch of depigmentation
• Asymptomatic

Stages of Halo nevus:

Halo Nevus can be divided into 4stages-

• Stage 1: A pigmented (brown or black) nevus surrounded by a halo of depigmentation
• Stage 2: A pink nevus surrounded by a halo of depigmentation
• Stage 3: A circular area of depigmentation and the disappearance of the nevus
• Stage 4: The skin resumes a normal appearance and the de-pigmented halo becomes re-pigmented.

Note: In some cases, the central nevus does not fade, and instead develops hyperpigmentation in a reticular pattern.

How long does it lasts?

Halo nevi gradually disappear after several months or years in most of the cases.

But in some individuals, it does not disappear.

The color of the nevus begins to fade, and the ring of depigmentation returns to its original color.

What is the Treatment of halo Nevus?

It does not require any treatment, unless removal is desired for cosmetic reasons.

However, a thorough screening for melanoma or family history of melanoma is recommended*. In addition, patients above the age of 40 with a new-onset halo nevus must be examined and followed for possible melanoma.

Recommendations at home

It is important to apply sunscreen to the halo of pigmentation, as this area of the skin is more prone to develop sun burns.

These medicine are prescribed for Halo Nevi-

• Non-steroid anti-inflammatory creams – Tacrolimus and Pimecrolimus. Helps to re-color the area of depigmentation.
• Steroid creams- Fluticasone- Prescribed if the area of depigmentation develops a sunburn.

Medical interventions

• Periodic skin exams
• Ultraviolet light therapy or excimer laser can recolor depigmented skin.
• Surgical removal of the mole

Diagnosis-

It is usually diagnosed on the basis of visual appearance.

A dermatoscope may be used to examine the mole. A general physical examination is often performed to detect any other moles.

If you have a family history of skin cancer or this mole has an abnormal appearance, a biopsy may be taken.

Differential Diagnosis-

• Cutaneous melanoma
• Vitiligo (depigmented well defined patches on the body)
• Molluscum contagiosum (a viral skin infection, there can be redness around it)
• Regressing Solar lentigo
• Atypical nevus (irregular color or border of a nevus)
• Regressing Seborrheic keratosis Lichen sclerosus (shiny white atrophic plaques on the body or genital skin)

Home Remedies for Halo Nevus

If a person has problems of white stains, then fill the copper vessel with water at night and consume it in the morning.

• Carrots, gourd and pulses should be consumed as much as possible, so that there is no lack of nutrients in the body. Eat two to four almonds daily.
• Turmeric and Mustard Oil- A mixture made by mixing turmeric and mustard oil, the stain is reduced by applying the stained area.

How to use-

• Take 1 spoon of turmeric powder.
• Mix it in two spoons of mustard oil.
• Now apply this paste on a place with white rashes and after keeping it for 15 minutes, wash the place with lukewarm water.
• Do this three to four times a day for better result.

Turmeric-

• Soak 1/2 kg turmeric in 8 liters of water overnight, soak it overnight in the morning after soaking overnight.
• Heat until 1 liter is left. Add 1/2 liter mustard oil to it, after that keep cooking until 1/2 liter is left, this experiment provides benefit in white stains of the body.
• This oil should be used both in the morning and evening.
• Neem leaf and honey- It is very beneficial reducing white spots.

How to use-

• Make a fresh copal paste of neem and put it in a sieve and extract its juice.
• Mix one spoon honey in one tablespoon neem juice and drink it three times a day.
• You can also use this mixture throughout your life.
• Apart from this, make a paste by mixing a little water in two spoons of walnut powder.
• Apply this paste on the stained area for 20 minutes. Do this three to four times a day.

Neem- Mixing coconut oil in neem oil and applying it on white stains is beneficial, using it daily for several months gives good results.

• Bathua Benefits

A person suffering from whitish discoloration of skin should eat vegetable of Bathua daily.

How to use-

• Boil the bathua and wash its white stained area three to four times a day.
• Take two cups of raw Bathua juice, mix half cup sesame oil in it and cook it on low flame when only oil remains, take it off and fill it in the vial.
• Keep applying it continuously.