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IBD tests and diagnosis

IBD tests and diagnosis

IBD tests and diagnosis

An inflammatory bowel disease condition is detected through a series of process that are initiated in methodical order. The preliminary steps among them help rule out the other possible disease conditions that trigger similar symptoms.  Disease conditions like ischemic colitis, infections, IBS, diverticulitis, and colon cancer can result in symptoms similar to inflammatory bowel disease, the reason why a combination of tests are recommended for  IBD Diagnosis, as they help ascertain the disease condition & confirm the diagnosis.

Blood tests to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease

  1. Tests to determine anaemia and infection- Blood tests help diagnose anaemia, the conditions that results in the inadequacy of red blood cells that carry oxygen to tissues.
  2. Blood tests also help check for symptoms of bacteria and virus infections
  3. Fecal occult blood test – IBD patients have to provide stool samples to test for hidden blood
  4. Colonoscopy helps examine the entire colon with the help pf a thin, flexible and lighted tube and a camera attached towards its tip. Colonoscopy is accompanied by biopsy or laboratory examination of a small sample of tissue from the affected area. This is essential to confirm IBD diagnosis
  5. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is an endoscopic procedure to examine the last part of the colon (otherwise known as sigmoid)
  6. Upper endoscopy helps examine the oesophagus, stomach, and the initial part of small intestine or duodenum. This endoscopic diagnosis is recommended for Crohn’s disease patients who suffer from nausea, vomiting, eating difficulties, and upper abdominal pain.
  7. Capsule endoscopy helps record the images of the affected area digestive tract by allowing patients to swallow a capsule with a camera in it. After the diagnosis, the capsule exits the body through stool painlessly.
  8. Double-balloon endoscopy – For comprehensive examination of small bowel, especially the areas where normal endoscopes don’t reach.

 

No gastrointestinal disease can be successfully cured with over-the-counter treatment methods, as the promised quick fixes are hardly enough to guarantee long term solutions that keep debilitating health conditions at bay. Though some of the severe gastrointestinal symptoms might temporarily subside with short-term solutions, they might soon aggravate, thus deteriorating our health condition in no time. When it comes choosing an expert health care professional, most of us are often tempted to reach out to our primary care provider. Hardly a few of us insist on consulting with a reputed gastrointestinal specialist, in order to do a proper diagnosis and subsequent initiation of an appropriate and fully fledged treatment that guarantees long term remission and cure from stomach ailments. Seeking out the help of a gastroenterologist is indispensable even in cases of reasonable suspicion of inflammatory bowel disease and related illnesses like IBS, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Upon the unavailability of GI experts, the alternative option is to look for a primary care provider with commendable expertise in IBD diagnosis, as they can suggest the primary tests and diagnostic procedures to detect the exact illness and its severity, based on which the best therapies are suggested to achieve and maintain remission or symptom-free phase.

While the exact cause that triggers IBD is yet to be discovered, genetic reasons, an overactive immune system, and various environmental factors are thought to be possible reasons that cause and exacerbate IBD. Inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis involves biopsies, colonoscopy, and radiological tests, as they help initiate a clear diagnosis, as well as close analysis of ongoing status of the disease condition.  It can also help ease the process of differential diagnosis, apart from ruling out the possibilities of several other diseases that might trigger similar symptoms. Though Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can be detected with intense diagnostic methods, IBD conditions like indeterminate colitis can lead to sere misdiagnosis, as physicians might find it hard to detect the actual reason behind inflammation.

More information can be obtained on https://www.gutpeople.net a bespoke social networking website, developed solely for gastroenterologists around the world. GI health care experts who specialize in GI disorders can register with The Gut People and start interacting with top GI experts around the world, on various commonly found gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal tuberculosis. The Gut People is also equipped with unique functionalities that help download informative documents on gastrointestinal disorders, as well as their comprehensive diagnosis steps and advance treatment methods.

for more info:https://www.gutpeople.net