Live Life Team
Endoscopy is a type of test or procedure where the body is diagnosed from inside using the device called endoscope on which the named has been coined. The endoscope is a flexible tube, thin in nature and also having a camera and light source in it. The GI endoscopy is the one which is done for finding out the problems with the upper GI tract and also known as gastroscopy. Diagnostic gastroscopy is a test done to find out the problems related to the digestive tract on the upper part. The test should be quite useful in finding out lot of problems associated to the stomach ulcers and damages due to reflux diseases. In some specific cases, one can also get a diagnosis of cancer in the stomach or esophagus.
Reasons for the test to be conducted
In the normal problems related to stomach, there is no need to go for this procedure. The doctor shall be the correct person to recommend a test to the patient. There are also guidelines in place by the national institute of health and clinical excellence which tells people to see a specialist for an endoscopy in the cases where they vomit some small amounts of blood, any observations of loss in weight when there is nothing related to dieting, they find difficulty in digesting the food, also sometime problems in swallowing the food, being sick for lot many times over a period of time, anemia being detected due to lack of haemoglobin in the blood, and also if there is a suspected lump in the abdomen. The governing body also advises that specialist for endoscopy should also be contacted in a case having a barium meal which reveals some sort of problem there. The term barium meal is referred to a X-ray which would involve intake of a liquid containing barium to show up in the X-ray.
Age matter
The age may not be a huge matter, but most of the people beyond 55 and also suffering indigestion, would be sent out for endoscopy on a regular routine. The test to be done on a routinely basis is quite safe and very little chance to damage the intestine. For pregnant women, its better to avoid the test till the baby is delivered.
How is it performed
The test is done using the flexible tube with a camera and a light source inside it to see the inside of the body. The digestive tract is seen using the camera and the pictures are transmitted to the TV monitoring screen so that the doctor can see any abnormalities inside the body, for the preparation in taking the test, one would need to stop taking the prescribed medicines for any indigestion and that too, two weeks before the test. The antacids can be continued without any issues.
Recovery
With a condition in which the patient was not given a sedative, it would just take some 15-30 minutes to come out and recover. The patient can then go home. In case of sedatives being given, the patient may continue to feel drowsy and it would take up to few hours to recover from it. The success rates are quite high for the test to pick on ulcers, bleeding and cancers.
