Diagnosis of Stomach (Abdominal) Disorders

If you have stomach problems, you can check a medical history questionnaire to prepare yourself for appointment with yourdoctor. After listening your symptoms and performing physical examination, your doctor may suggest you to have additional investigations. It may save you a lot of nerves and money, if you know exactly, what a certain investigation or test can show and what not. You can also check main causes of abdominal symptoms.

General Tests

• Blood, Stool, Urine and Neurological tests

Food Allergy and Intolerance Tests

• Skin tests, Breath tests, Elimination diet and Food Challenge tests
• Low-FODMAP Diet trial in IBS
• Low-Fructose diet trial in Fructose Malabsorption 

continue reading Stomach Disorders – Available Tests and Investigations

How to Determine a Cause of Abdominal Pain

The cause of the abdominal (stomach) pain can be determined from:

1. Pain LOCATION:

• Right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain may be from gallstones, bile ducts dysfunction, liver diseases, right kidney or ureteral disorders, or right adrenal gland
• Left upper quadrant (LUQ) pain may be from to pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer, spleen enlargement or rupture, trapped gas in the colon, left kidney or ureteral disorders, or left adrenal gland
• Upper middle abdominal pain may be from gastritis, stomach or duodenal ulcer or cancer, pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer, aortic aneurysm or dissection of abdominal aorta, lymph nodes enlargement in lymphoma, strained or injured muscles of abdominal wall
• Right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain may be from appendicitis, right colon inflammation in Crohn’s disease, right ovarian cyst or cancer or twisting, ectopic pregnancy, a stone in the right ureter, intestinal hernia.
• Left lower quadrant (LLQ) pain may be from diverticulitis, atherosclerosis of abdominal arteries, left ovarian disorder, ectopic pregnancy, a stone in the left ureter, intestinal hernia.
• Lower middle abdomen may arise from muscles of abdominal wall (stretching, injury, hypokalemia), menstruation, infection or cancer of the bladder, pelvic inflammatory disease, inflammation of urethra (mostly infection, including STDs), inflammation or cancer of the prostate, diseases of testes, epidydimis or seminal ducts.
• Abdominal pain that is hard to locate may appear in constipation or IBS.
• Diffuse abdominal pain may be from severe bloating or peritonitis.

continue reading Causes of Abdominal Pain – Diagnosis from Symptoms & Investigations

Introduction to Bowel Problems Diagnosis

Evaluation of the patient with a bowel disease begins with careful history and physical examination. Subsequent investigation is indicated in selected cases only. Some patients have normal findings on diagnostic testing, so a diagnosis of a functional bowel problem  or IBS is often given to them.

History

Symptoms of short duration are generally due to acute infection, intoxication, sudden inflammation, impaired circulation (ischemia), food poisoning, etc.

continue reading Bowel Problems ~ Symptoms Diagnosis by a Doctor