Does an H. pylori breath test treat Helicobacter pylori infection?

The test uses a swallowed prepared substance and breath samples. If H. pylori is present, it can produce chemical changes that the test detects in your breath. This gives your clinician evidence about current infection, but it does not kill the bacteria or repair irritation caused in the stomach. A result must be interpreted alongside your symptoms, medical history and any medicines that could affect accuracy.

Follow the preparation instructions carefully and tell the clinic about recent antibiotics, acid-suppressing medicines and other treatments. If the result supports infection, a clinician can prescribe an eradication regimen suited to your circumstances and local guidance. Take the full course as directed. Follow-up testing may be advised after treatment to check whether infection remains, rather than assuming that symptoms alone show the outcome.

Seek urgent care if you vomit blood, pass black stools, develop sudden severe abdominal pain, faint or cannot keep fluids down. Contact your clinician for continuing pain, recurrent vomiting, difficulty swallowing or unexplained weight loss. These symptoms need assessment even when an H. pylori test is planned or has already been performed.

Ask how to prepare for testing, whether your medicines need adjustment, what a positive or negative result means, which treatment is appropriate and when confirmation testing should be arranged.