Can you drink water before blowing to check for Helicobacter pylori?

You should not drink water before insufflation for H

. pylori, a common stomach bacterium. Insufflation tests can be used to detect the presence of H. pylori. In this test, insufflation is performed on an empty stomach to allow the doctor to analyze exhaled air for urea produced by H. pylori. Drinking water may dilute stomach fluids and affect the accuracy of the test. In order to ensure reliable results, fasting and water deprivation are generally required for a specific period of time prior to the examination. The specific fasting time will be determined according to the doctor's instructions and may be several hours or longer.