I had an upper G.I. done.?

Question

WHAT CAN THE DOCTORS BE LOOKING FOR? I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH EATING, FOOD GETS STUCK IN MY CHEST.

Answer 1

GI radigraphs paint the lining of the intestine with a dye that shows up on X-rays. Therefore, what you can see on the film is the shape of the space inside the digestive tract.

There are two aspects to the evaluation of an upper GI study. One is to look for abnormalities to the shape of the tract. Are there abnormal bumps or folds that impede the progress of swallowed food? Are there tight spots where the fluid has to narrow down to get through? If so, these would need to be investigated further. That investigation would involve looking inside with a flexible scope.

The other aspect of the study is that some information can be obtained by watching the dynamic movements of the digestive tract while the study is getting done. Sometimes, we record the movements as an X-ray movie so that we don't have to look at only still-pictures. The evaluation of the movement of the gastrointestinal tract can be very informative.

The problem that you are describing, where "food gets stuck in your chest", is called DYSPHAGIA. This is a problem that can be due to a number of very different problems. Your doctors may need to study the problem from several angles before they can draw any conclusions about what the underlying problem really is. The upper GI series is only one of several different types of study that are useful in this regard. Other studies that are useful include endoscopy (where a scope is used to visually inspect the lining of the digestive tract), manometry (where a thin tube is used to measure the pressure waves that are generated during the swallowing process) and pH monitoring (where the amount of acid reflux is measured in the esophagus).

If you want to do some reading while you wait for your doctors to interpret this study for you, I suggest you google a few terms and do some background reading. Here is a list of key words that will get you some more information. Feel free to contact me if these generate questions that I might be of help with. In my practice, I have a special interest in topics regarding esophageal conditions.

List of things to look up:

Dysphagia - the problem of having difficulty with swallowing
Achalasia - one interesting condition that leads to dysphagia
Barrett's Esophagus - a chronic condition resulting from reflux
Schatzki's Ring - a ring shaped scar in the esophagus

Answer 2

The doctors are looking for the reason you have problems with food. The answer could be a simple one. My husband has a twisted esophagus and he has that problem. It issomething not dangerous, just scary until you know what's wrong.

Answer 3

a stricture, scar tissue, an abnormality that needs to be looked into further...