What to Know About Digestive Diseases and Endoscopy

Endoscopy is a nonsurgical medical process that is used to check a person's digestive tract. It is the insertion of a long and flexible tube with a light and camera attached to it, directly into the body to inspect an internal organ and tissues. Endoscopy is also used to capture images of the internal organ and perform minor surgeries. In medical terms, the upper endoscopy is called esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Often, doctors prescribe this medical process for the following reasons:

Examine signs and symptoms

This minimally invasive process may help doctors to determine causes of digestive problems such as:

• Digestive tract bleeding
• Stomach pain
• Polyps or growths in the colon
• Gastritis, ulcers or difficulty swallowing
• Changes in bowel habits (chronic constipation or diarrhoea)

Tissue samples 

The doctors may prescribe this process to collect tissue samples (biopsy) to assess them for any specific conditions and health diseases including bleeding, inflammation, anaemia, diarrhoea, or cancers of the digestive tract.

Treatment

The endoscopist may use some specific tools through the endoscope to treat problems in the digestive tract system including destroying or removing a strange object, clipping off a polyp, or widening a narrow esophagus.

How to prepare for Endoscopy?

Examining the upper digestive tract requires a person to keep a fast for 7-8 hours before the procedure to ensure that the stomach is unfilled and set for the endoscopy. If an individual takes certain blood-thinning medicines, the doctor may ask him to stop medications before the procedure.

Risks and side effects

Though endoscopy is a safe medical procedure, there may be some potential complications such as:

• A numb throat for a few hours due to the effects of local anesthetic
• Feeling bloated for a few hours after the process
• Pain in endoscopy part
• Complications related to previous health problems

Those who are prescribed for this medical procedure need to choose the best endoscopist in Delhi, Mumbai or any other city. During the process, the person will be given a sedative or general anesthesia to make them comfortable and relaxed. Patients may wake up within an hour but it will take 24 hours for the sedation effect to wear off.

Hepatitis C: Stages and Symptoms

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that severely affects the liver. It is caused by the Hepatitis C virus and leads to inflammation of the liver. In the initial stages, symptoms are mild. It might not require any treatments if the body’s immune system is strong enough to fight the infections. When this is the case, hepatologists ask to get some blood test done to monitor the liver functioning. However, if the body’s immune system is weak and unable to clear the virus on its own, treatment becomes compulsory. Hepatitis C, if left untreated, can result in liver damage, liver cancer and even fatality. To treat hepatitis c, best hepatologist in Delhi or anywhere else usually prescribe some interferons and antivirals. Let us check out the stages of hepatitis C.

Acute Hepatitis C

The first six months of Hepatitis C, after contracting hepatitis C virus, is considered to be the acute phase. People suffering from acute hepatitis C usually do not experience any symptoms. But if they do, they might notice early symptoms which include:

• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• JaundicePeople having strong immune system recover from acute hepatitis c within a few weeks without any treatment.

Chronic Hepatitis C

When the body’s immune system is weak enough to fight the infection, hepatitis C gradually progresses to the chronic stage. Often, chronic hepatitis C goes undiagnosed for years and symptoms take time to show up. In the chronic stage, continuous inflammation of the liver kills healthy liver cells. When this starts happening, the following symptoms start appearing:

• Fatigue
• Stomach upset
• Decreased appetite
• Pain in joint and muscles

Compensated Cirrhosis

Compensated cirrhosis is the early period of cirrhosis. At this stage, due to inflammation in the liver, liver cells get damaged and hardened scar tissues replace the liver cells. At this stage, it becomes difficult for the liver to filter toxins and as a result, these toxins start contaminating the blood. Some of the symptoms of compensated cirrhosis are:

• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Unusual weight loss
• Brain fog
• Fluid retention and swelling in the abdomen
• Bruising
• Loss of muscle mass

Decompensated Cirrhosis

In decompensated cirrhosis, due to liver scarring liver dysfunction arises. At this stage, serious complications like liver failure and liver cancer might occur and they can be fatal. Some of the symptoms of decompensated cirrhosis are:

• Swelling in legs
• Brain fog
• Bleeding from the large blood vessels in the oesophagus
• Jaundice
• Bruising
• Ascites, i.e. accumulation of fluid in the abdomen
• Severe fatigue
• Continuous weight and muscle loss

Hepatitis C is contagious. There are high chances of getting infected with hepatitis C if people come in contact with the blood or the body fluid of an infected person.