Does Helicobacter pylori infection cause bloating?

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that can live in the stomach and irritate its lining. This irritation may affect digestion and contribute to a swollen, full feeling, early fullness after eating, upper-abdominal discomfort, nausea or frequent wind. Some infected people have few or no noticeable symptoms. Bloating can also follow swallowed air, constipation, food intolerance, reflux, or another stomach or bowel condition, so the symptom does not by itself point to infection.

Track when the swelling appears, what you ate, bowel changes, pain, nausea and any medicines you use. Eat slowly, avoid fizzy drinks if they worsen symptoms, and keep hydrated. A clinician can review your symptoms and decide whether a breath or stool test is appropriate. If testing confirms infection, treatment usually involves prescribed medicines taken as directed; do not start antibiotics left over from another illness.

Arrange medical advice if bloating keeps returning, interferes with meals, or comes with ongoing upper-abdominal pain, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, difficulty swallowing, or marked tiredness. Seek urgent care for vomiting blood, black tarry stools, severe or rapidly worsening abdominal pain, a hard swollen abdomen, fainting, or inability to keep fluids down.

Could my symptoms fit Helicobacter pylori infection or another digestive problem? Which test suits me, and do any medicines need to be stopped before testing? If treatment is prescribed, how will we check that the infection has cleared?