Call your doctor if you have any of these digestive symptoms: Chronic or unusual abdominal pain. Persistent or severe heartburn. Difficulty swallowing.
Common digestive disorders include gastroesophageal reflux disease, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance and hiatal hernia. The most common symptoms of digestive disorders include bleeding, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, pain, nausea and vomiting.
Stomach cancer can present itself in several different ways, such as difficulty swallowing, feeling bloated after eating, feeling full after only eating a small amount of food, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, stomach pain, unintentional weight loss, and vomiting.
Standard imaging tests for gastric conditions include upper gastrointestinal series (UGI), ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans and X-rays. For an even clearer picture of the gastrointestinal tract, a barium swallow or barium enema may be used in conjunction with an X-ray.
Your stomach pain is accompanied by other severe symptoms
Bloody diarrhea. Bloody or burning urine. Bowel movements accompanied by vomiting. Chest pain or pressure (especially if you are over 45, as this may be a sign of an impending heart attack)
IBS is the most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists and one of the most common disorders seen by primary care physicians.
Certain gastrointestinal disorders can be life threatening and require emergency treatment. For many people, emergency treatment involves surgery. Not all gastrointestinal disorders are treated with surgery (see Ileus. Abdominal surgery and medications that interfere with the intestine's movements are common causes.
Gastroparesis can interfere with normal digestion, cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can also cause problems with blood sugar levels and nutrition. Although there's no cure for gastroparesis, changes to your diet, along with medication, can offer some relief.
Concomitant symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, jaundice, melena, hematuria, hematemesis, weight loss, and mucus or blood in the stool help direct subsequent evaluation.
Gnawing or burning ache or pain (indigestion) in your upper abdomen that may become either worse or better with eating. Nausea. Vomiting.
If the abdominal pain is severe and unrelenting, your stomach is tender to the touch, or if the pain extends to your back, you should immediately visit the closest emergency department.
Blood tests can show levels of specific substances in the blood. Digestive issues for which blood tests support a diagnosis include Celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), stomach ulcers, stomach cancer and food allergies.
Doctors may use blood tests to check for other causes of gastritis or signs of complications. For a blood test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from you and send the sample to a lab.
Endoscopy. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy involves inserting a flexible, lighted tube called an endoscope down your throat and into your esophagus. A tiny camera on the end of the endoscope lets your doctor examine your esophagus, stomach and the beginning of your small intestine, called the duodenum.
Main symptoms of stomach cancer
having problems swallowing (dysphagia) feeling or being sick. symptoms of indigestion, such as burping a lot. feeling full very quickly when eating.
You may not be able to feel the tumor because the mass of stomach cancer develops slowly. However, an abdominal mass related to a stomach tumor is most often felt during a routine physical exam by the doctor.