It turns out that there are 6 indications for gastroscopy

Gastroscopy is an examination item that we often hear about in daily life, but people don’t know much about what diseases gastroscopy is suitable for. In fact, gastroscopy is suitable for the following 6 indications, but not all people with these symptoms are suitable for this examination, so be sure to consult a doctor before doing a gastroscopy.

1. Indications for gastroscopy

Endoscopy can be used to diagnose patients with suspected esophageal inflammation (including chemical and reflux), esophageal ulcers, tumors, stenotic hiatal hernias and esophageal varices; suspected gastric mucosal inflammation (including acute and chronic gastritis and atrophic gastritis), gastric ulcers, gastric tumors, gastric cancer, as well as duodenal bulb ulcers, bulbitis, bulbar deformation, diverticulum, cancer and foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Therefore, endoscopy may be performed on the following patients:

1. Patients with upper abdominal discomfort, suspected upper gastrointestinal tract disease, but cannot be diagnosed clinically;

2. If the cause of blood loss is unknown, especially upper gastrointestinal bleeding, emergency gastroscopy may be performed;

3. Those who cannot be diagnosed by X-ray barium meal examination or are suspected of having lesions;

4. Lesions that require follow-up, such as ulcers, atrophic gastritis, and gastric precancerous lesions;

5. Those who need endoscopic treatment;

6. Physical examination.

Contraindications of gastroscopy

In most cases contraindications are relative, not absolute. The following situations are absolute contraindications for endoscopic examination.

1. Severe heart disease: such as severe heart rhythm disorders, active myocardial infarction, and severe heart failure.

2. Severe lung diseases; those who cannot lie flat due to asthma or respiratory failure.

3. Those who are mentally ill and unable to cooperate.

4. Acute phase of esophageal, stomach, and duodenum perforation.

5. Patients with acute severe throat diseases who cannot insert endoscope.

6. Acute phase of corrosive esophageal injury.

Is it uncomfortable to do gastroscopy?

Gastroscopy is a medical examination method and also refers to the instrument used for this examination. It is inserted into the stomach through a thin, soft tube, allowing doctors to directly observe lesions in the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, especially tiny lesions. So, what are the precautions before and after gastroscopy?

Ordinary gastroscopy requires the insertion of a tube, using a slender tube with a diameter of about one centimeter, wrapped in black plastic and made of optical fiber. The front end is equipped with an endoscope, which is inserted through the mouth into the subject's esophagus, stomach, and duodenum to examine the patient's gastric mucosal lesions. This type of examination often makes the patient feel very painful.

During a routine gastroscopy, the doctor usually holds the front end of the gastroscope with his right hand and slowly inserts it into the mouth to the root of the tongue, which often causes a feeling of nausea. When nausea is obvious or when swallowing, the upper opening of the esophagus will open and the doctor will insert the gastroscope into the esophagus along the opening at the moment of opening. This is why doctors often ask people to do swallowing exercises when they don't cooperate well.