A recent study in Italy of about 250 patients suggests that this bacteria may be a factor in migraine. Research found evidence of the bacteria in 40 percent of their migraine patients. Migraine without aura was the most common kind of headache in people with the H. pylori infection. The study also observed that the older the patient the higher the incidence of infection. The researchers believed that treatment with antibiotics could possibly cure the infection and improve or eliminate migraine.
Several tests can determine the presence of the infection.
The simplest test, a C-urea breath test involves swallowing synthetic urea then taking a breathalyzer test. The evaluation determines the presence of a specific chemical associated with the infection. Neurologist Dr. Marek Gawel, Chair of the Migraine Association of Canada's medical advisory committee suggests that if a migraine sufferer thinks they have the H. pylori symptoms, they should contact their family doctor for a referral to a gastroenterologist.