What Do Gastroenterologists Diagnose?
Gastroenterologists diagnose a wide variety of problems that affect the gastrointestinal tract. This article will define some of the conditions that gastroenterologists diagnose, explain what causes them, provide a short explanation of how the condition is diagnosed and explain how the condition is treated.
Constipation - Constipation is defined as difficult, incomplete, or infrequent bowel movements. The main cause of constipation is lack of fiber in the diet. Most people know when they're constipated, so there is no real diagnosis - discussion with the gastroenterologist with include diet and other methods of easing the constipation.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition where the muscles in the colon (large intestine) contract more than average. This can cause not only constipation, but also diarrhea or loose stools. Symptoms include abdominal pain and cramps, excessive gas and bloating. There are no real tests to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome, most people just explain their symptoms to the gastroenterologist. The gastroenteroligist can make a diagnosis from there and suggest treatment options. Treatment involves avoiding caffeine, increasing fiber in the diet, monitoring foods that trigger IBS and avoiding those foods, minimizing stress or learning different stress reduction techniques and taking medications prescribed by the gastroenterologist.
Hemorrhoids - Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels that line the anal opening. They can be caused by excessive straining during a bowel movement, persistent diarrhea or pregnancy. There are two types of hemorrhoids, internal and external.
Internal - When internal hemorrhoids fall down into the anus as a result of straining, they can become irritated and start to bleed. One way to treat internal hemorrhoids is to improve bowel habits. In addition, gastroenterologists will either use elastic bands to pull the internal hemorrhoids back into the rectum or remove them surgically.
External - External hemorrhoids lie just under the skin outside the anus. Sometimes after straining the external hemorrhoidal veins will burst and a blood clot will form under the skin - this condition is called a pile. Treatment of external hemorrhoids involves removing the clot and vein under local anesthetic in the doctor's office.
There are more common conditions that gastroenterologists diagnose, including some that are much more serious. However, if you get enough roughage in your diet, get enough exercise and make sure you have a bowel movement when you need to, you should be able to avoid most gastrointestinal problems. If you experience any serious symptoms or a lot of abdominal pain, consult your doctor immediately.