How to Get Tested for a Food Intolerance
Food sensitivities can be tricky, but proper testing can help you feel better without unnecessary restrictions. Read on as we discuss how to get tested for a food intolerance.
What an Upper Endoscopy Reveals About Your Health
If you’ve been dealing with symptoms, such as ongoing heartburn or unexplained digestive symptoms, Noel R. Fajardo, MD, or Filippo Cremonini, MD, PhD, MSc, may recommend an upper endoscopy.
While the idea of a scope procedure can seem intimidating, this test can provide the answers you need about what’s happening inside your digestive tract.
In fact, our team at Las Vegas Gastroenterology regularly uses upper endoscopy to identify inflammation, irritation, ulcers, bleeding, and other conditions affecting your upper gastrointestinal (GI) system, often before they become more serious.
Below, we explain what happens during an endoscopy and five things that an upper endoscopy can reveal.
What is an upper endoscopy?
An upper endoscopy is also known as an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), and it’s a procedure that allows us to examine the inside of your esophagus, stomach, and upper small intestine (duodenum).
During the procedure, we insert a thin flexible tube with a camera through your mouth while you are sedated.
What an upper endoscopy can reveal
Because an upper endoscopy shows us real-time images inside your upper GI tract, it can:
Identify the cause of chronic heartburn
Frequent acid reflux is more than just uncomfortable; it can damage the lining of your esophagus and increase your risk of a condition known as Barrett’s esophagus.
An upper endoscopy can help detect:
- Esophagitis (inflammation of your esophagus)
- Ulcers
- Barrett’s esophagus
- Structural abnormalities linked to GERD
This helps us determine the best treatment plan and monitor for complications.
Help explain difficulty swallowing
If food feels like it gets stuck or swallowing has become uncomfortable, an upper endoscopy can show us if there’s any narrowing, inflammation, scarring, or other abnormalities in your esophagus.
Detect ulcers and inflammation
An upper endoscopy allows us to directly examine areas of irritation or damage in your stomach and upper digestive tract.
This may help diagnose:
- Gastritis
- Stomach ulcers
- Duodenal ulcers
- Inflammation related to infections or medications
In some cases, we can also take a small tissue sample, or biopsy, during the same procedure to confirm a diagnosis and guide your treatment plan.
Help us investigate unexplained symptoms
Persistent nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, or unexplained weight loss are all bothersome symptoms, but unfortunately, they don’t indicate much on their own. It’s impossible to diagnose any condition based on these symptoms alone, because many different GI conditions can cause them.
An upper endoscopy helps us look for signs of bleeding, polyps, or infection. The results of the upper endoscopy paired with your symptom review can help us get you on the right treatment path.
Help diagnose celiac disease
For people with undiagnosed celiac disease, it can take 6-10 years to get a proper diagnosis. This delay is usually because the symptoms overlap with so many other conditions.
Upper endoscopy can bridge that gap and shorten the time to diagnosis. If we suspect celiac disease, we may take small tissue samples during the procedure to look for damage that may be due to gluten-related inflammation.
What to expect from an upper endoscopy
Before your procedure, we give you instructions about fasting and medication adjustments.
During the endoscopy, we sedate you so you’re comfortable, or we administer an anesthetic. Most people remember little to none of the procedure, which usually takes about 15-30 minutes.
Because of the sedation, you must arrange to have someone to drive you home afterward. Most people return home the same day and resume normal activities by the following day. You may experience mild throat soreness or bloating temporarily after the procedure.
Get the answers you need about your digestive health
If you’ve been dealing with unwanted digestive symptoms, schedule an appointment with us at Las Vegas Gastroenterology today to learn whether an upper endoscopy may help identify the cause of your symptoms.
You can also call either of our two Las Vegas, Nevada, locations.
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