Breath testing can help diagnose the presence of H. pylori, a type of bacteria that can live in your digestive tract causing ulcers in the stomach lining or upper part of your small intestine. You will drink a special solution containing a substance that is broken down by H. pylori.  If you have the H. pylori bacteria, the breakdown products can be detected in your breath as you exhale into a bag.

The Procedure

You will first be asked to blow into a small bag or other container to provide an initial breath sample. Then you will swallow either a drink or a capsule that contains the special solution. Finally, you again blow into a small bag, providing samples for comparison which will be used to detect H. pylori bacteria in your stomach. The process takes about 20 minutes.

Risks

There is very low risk of any side effects or complications with this test.