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Gastritis is typically diagnosed following a physician’s evaluation of the patient’s medical history, a physical examination and a series of diagnostic tests. However, in some cases, a patient’s symptoms may point so strongly to gastritis that tests are not necessary. A physician, often a gastroenterologist, looks for upper abdominal pain or discomfort and nausea as the primary symptoms of gastritis.
Endoscopy is generally considered the best way to diagnose gastritis. A tiny camera attached to a thin tube is passed through the mouth to look inside the stomach for changes in the stomach lining. Primary signs include edema (swelling), erythema (redness), brittleness, erosions and ulcers.
A sample of tissue from the stomach lining may also be obtained through endoscopy. The biopsy, or laboratory examination, of this tissue sample may provide the definitive diagnosis. It can demonstrate features of acute and chronic inflammation, the presence of infection and the presence of an autoimmune condition (in which antibodies attack the body's own tissues).
In some cases, upper gastrointestinal x-rays of the stomach and small intestine may be used to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms. Liquid barium, a contrast medium that makes the internal organs easier to see on an x-ray, may be used.
Other tests may also be used to assist with diagnosis and may find the particular cause of gastritis. Blood tests may be used to detect anemia and antibodies to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections. The presence of these antibodies demonstrates that the patient has been infected at some point in the past. It does not necessarily indicate a current infection. Breath tests may be used to measure the activity of urease, an enzyme produced by H. pylori. Fecal tests may be used to detect active infections of H. pylori and signs of gastrointestinal bleeding that may not be noticeable otherwise. |
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