Heartburn Clinic

When you visit the doctor to discuss your digestive problems, it is likely that a diagnosis will be made based on a detailed discussion about your symptoms and a treatment recommended. However, in certain circumstances further tests and investigations may be appropriate. The doctor may suspect that you have an ulcer and may require confirmation. Other reasons why tests might be necessary include situations where treatment may not be working or where there is doubt about the cause of the problem.

Endoscopy
An endoscopy is a procedure that is usually carried out in a hospital outpatient clinic. This involves using an endoscope to view your digestive tract. The endoscope is inserted through your mouth after you receive a sedative injection or a local anaesthetic in your throat. The doctor can view what is happening in your digestive tract through a tiny camera attached to the end of the endoscope, which is linked to a video screen. This is one of the methods used to identify H. pylori, ulcers and other diseases in your digestive tract. The procedure takes about 15 minutes.

Blood tests
Routine blood tests may be carried out to check for any abnormalities. These may pick up problems unrelated to digestive disorders. An antibody blood test is one method of investigating whether H. Pylori is present. Other tests for H. Pylori include a breath test and endoscopy.

Barium x-rays
Barium x-rays are used to identify problems in your digestive tract and particularly in the oesophagus. You are given a barium solution to drink. As this moves down through your system, x-rays are taken to record progress. With more use of endoscopy, which is more accurate, barium x-rays are not used as much as in the past.

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