If you have digestive problems what kind of doctor do you go see?

Question

If you have digestive problems what kind of specialist do you go see. Is that Internal Medicine or how should I look this up?

Thanks yall!

Answer 1

Diagnosing and Treating Your Digestive Problem
Our specialists diagnose and treat a wide range of digestive problems using procedures that include endoscopy and colonoscopy.
To diagnose your digestive problem, first discuss your symptoms with one of our gastroenterologists. They will ask about your medical history and give you a physical exam. Some patients need laboratory tests, imaging tests and/or endoscopic procedures to help doctors diagnose the problem.

Our advanced Endoscopy Lab is equipped with advanced technology, such as an endoscopic laser, to help diagnose and treat digestive problems.

Colonoscopy and Other Endoscopic Procedures

About 70 percent of our diagnostic procedures involve colonoscopy, in which a doctor uses a long, flexible, lighted tube called a colonoscope to view your colon (large intestine).

To prepare for a colonoscopy, you must clear out your colon. A day or two before the procedure, you begin a liquid diet and take laxatives in liquid or pill form. The colonoscopy is done under mild anesthesia to relieve any anxiety you may be feeling. The doctor inserts the colonoscope into your rectum and moves it into your large intestine or colon. The colonoscope sends images to a computer.

Because colonoscopy allows the doctor to view the entire length of the large intestine, it can help identify abnormal growths, inflamed tissue, ulcers and bleeding. If your doctor finds an abnormal growth (polyp), it can be removed and tested for cancer.

Depending upon the location of your digestive problem, doctors may use other endoscopic procedures such as:

Sigmoidoscopy—It examines a smaller portion of the colon using a shorter telescope (sigmoidoscope). This test doesn’t require anesthesia and is helpful in identifying the causes of diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, abnormal growths and bleeding. But it misses some polyps that a colonoscopy will see.
Upper Endoscopy (EGD or esophagogastroduodenoscopy)—It examines the inside of the esophagus, stomach, and the first part of your small bowel (duodenum) by inserting an endoscope into the mouth.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)—It diagnoses and treats problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. An endoscope is guided from your mouth into the stomach, and dye is injected to provide an image of internal organs on an X-ray.
Additional Therapy

During endoscopic procedures, different therapeutic procedures also can be performed to help treat the problem. These treatments include:

Esophageal manometry—measures the strength and muscle coordination of the esophagus
Anorectal manometry—helps determine the strength of the muscles in the rectum and anus using a small tube in the rectum
Gastric Manometry—measures electrical and muscular activity in the stomach as it digests foods and liquids
Biopsy—removes and examines tissue to detect cancer cells
Ablation—burns tumors or abnormal tissue
Stenting—increases GI tract flow and contraction of the gastrointestinal muscles
Rectal and anal ultrasounds—This imaging technique uses high-frequency sound waves and a computer to view the rectum
Feeding tube placement for swallowing disorders
Removal of gallstones
Sphincterotomy—prevents tears or fissures in the anus
Wireless capsule endoscopy—provides a more precise image inside the bowel to locate bleeding, cancer or other abnormalities
PH monitoring—measures the acidity inside of the esophagus using a thin, plastic tube that is inserted through the nostrils.
Other diagnostic tests may include laboratory tests to check for blood in the stool or the presence of abnormal bacteria in the digestive tract. In some imaging tests, doctors will give you a metallic, chalky liquid called barium to coat the inside of your organs so they can see them on an X-ray. Imaging tests using X-rays help specialists watch the inside of the stomach and other organs as digestion occurs.

We also have one of the nation's few doctors specially educated in interventional pulmonology to perform flexible bronchoscopy. This procedure was traditionally used to evaluate the airways after chest X-rays and CT scans find an abnormality in the lungs. Now we use bronchoscopy treat air passage tumors, helping lung cancer patients breathe more easily and handle treatments better.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Digestive Doctor

Answer 4

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RE:
If you have digestive problems what kind of doctor do you go see?
If you have digestive problems what kind of specialist do you go see. Is that Internal Medicine or how should I look this up?

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Yes you see someone in internal medicine or a doctor specializing in the GI (gastrointestinal) tract. Start with an internist if you don't know the precise problem and they can direct you to a specialist if necessary.

Answer 7

You must see a gastro-enterologist. He will do a clinical examination If necessary he will take some blood-samples, saddles samples. Possible tests : abdominal echography colon baryté colonoscopy rectoscopy Treatment : depends of the results oral drugs diet surgery Hope this can help you Friendly Tina

Answer 8

Check with you insurance. Most insurances and specialist doctors want you to get a referral from your primary care physician. Make your appointment with them first. If he feels more care is needed, he will probably refer you to a gastroenterologist who specialize in that area.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

You see a gastroenterologist. If you have a regular doctor, ask him or her for a referral. If not, look up physicians--gastroenterology in the yellow pages. (Not the best way to select a physician, but....)