A gastroscopy is also called an upper endoscopy and is a diagnostic tool mainly for issues in the upper part of your digestive system. When your doctor recommends a gastroscopy in Houston, it could mean several things. Your doctor could be investigating the overall health of your gut or have suspected a specific gut issue hence using the tool to confirm their suspicions. It involves inserting a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera at the tip through your mouth to record your digestive system. Doing this can provide information concerning several health complications as outlined herein. Have a look.
Coeliac Disease
When you consume oats, rye, barley, and wheat, you are exposed to gluten protein which can damage the walls of your small intestines. This leads to coeliac disease. The complications make food absorption in your body poor, resulting in bowel symptoms and mineral, vitamin, and other deficiencies. Your doctor can use gastroscopy to take tiny samples of your small bowel when they suspect coeliac disease. The biopsies are sent to the lab for examination and analysis to confirm or rule out the condition.
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux
Many people refer to gastro-oesophageal reflux as heartburn. The condition is prevalent and results when the stomach acid rises in your esophagus, causing symptoms such as inflammation and pain. When you experience burning or discomfort rising from your lower chest towards your neck, your doctor might recommend a gastroscopy to diagnose heartburn. The condition can cause fluid or food to come to your mouth in some cases. Although people assume this will go away on its own, it can be severe, requiring treatment when it occurs regularly.
Helicobacter
This refers to the bacterium helicobacter pylori that can infect your stomach. It can live in your stomach lining, and it produces chemicals that can inflame your stomach lining, causing issues within your digestive tract like indigestion, stomach ulcers, and pain. It also increases your chances of developing stomach cancer since the infection can be lifelong if not effectively managed with medications.
Stomach and Duodenal Ulcers
The tissue in your stomach lining can break, causing ulcers, and the ulcers can also develop in the first part of your small intestine leading out of the stomach. Although smoking, stress, and diet were traditionally the main suspects of causing the ulcers, today’s cases are more due to the helicobacter pylori germ. In most cases, ulcers do not portray symptoms, and your provider can use gastroscopy to diagnose the condition.
Oesophageal cancer and Stomach Cancer
These types of cancer are uncommon, but it is crucial to be screened often. When you lose appetite and weight, have abdominal pain, swallowing problems, a sense of fulness, indigestion or nausea, and vomiting or nausea, you can consider a gastroscopy to detect or rule out the cancers.
Liver Disease
Liver disease is common and ought to be treated as quickly as possible. When liver disease is advanced, it is called cirrhosis. The condition causes several symptoms, including portal hypertension, which can be detected during a gastroscopy. Therefore, your doctor can recommend the diagnostic tool when they suspect you have liver disease.
When you experience symptoms like heartburn, vomiting, upper abdominal pain, swallowing difficulty, or acid indigestion, you might need a gastroscopy. Talk to the specialists at Vikram S Jayanty M.D. for more information.
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