How to check for stomach diseases

The main methods for detecting stomach diseases include gastroscopy, Helicobacter pylori testing, upper gastrointestinal barium meal, abdominal ultrasound, and gastric function examination. Gastroscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing gastric diseases, which can directly observe the condition of the gastric mucosa and take biopsies; Helicobacter pylori testing is used to determine the presence of infection; Upper gastrointestinal barium meal can observe the morphology and peristalsis of the stomach; Abdominal ultrasound is mainly used to screen for thickening or occupying lesions in the gastric wall; Gastric function examination evaluates the secretion and motility of the stomach.

1. Gastroscopy:

Gastroscopy is the process of inserting a flexible tube with a camera through the mouth into the stomach to directly observe lesions in the esophageal, gastric, and duodenal mucosa. This is the most accurate method for diagnosing diseases such as gastritis, gastric ulcers, gastric polyps, and gastric cancer. If suspicious lesions are found, doctors can also take tissue for pathological biopsy to clarify the nature of the lesions. Before the examination, fasting for 6-8 hours is required, and local anesthesia or sedatives are usually used to alleviate discomfort. For people who cannot tolerate regular gastroscopy, painless gastroscopy can be chosen to complete the examination under anesthesia.

2. Helicobacter pylori testing:

Helicobacter pylori is an important pathogenic factor that causes chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. The detection methods include carbon-13 or carbon-14 breath test, fecal antigen detection, and rapid urease test by taking mucosal tissue under gastroscopy. Breath test is the most commonly used and non-invasive method, which requires fasting before examination and discontinuation of antibiotics and acid suppressants for at least 4 weeks to ensure accurate results. If the test result is positive, standardized eradication treatment is required, usually using bismuth containing quadruple therapy. Commonly used drugs include amoxicillin capsules, clarithromycin tablets, omeprazole enteric coated capsules, etc. The treatment course is generally 10-14 days.

3. Upper gastrointestinal barium meal:

The upper gastrointestinal barium meal examination involves patients swallowing barium sulfate contrast agent and observing the process of barium passing through the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum under X-ray fluoroscopy. This method can display the outline, peristalsis, mucosal fold morphology, and the presence or absence of filling defects or niche shadows of the stomach, and is suitable for diagnosing gastric ptosis, gastric motility disorders, larger ulcers or tumors. Fasting is required before the examination, which is suitable for people who cannot tolerate gastroscopy or those who cannot pass through severely narrowed sections during gastroscopy. But this examination cannot directly take a biopsy, and the detection rate of early small lesions is lower than that of gastroscopy.

4. Abdominal ultrasound:

Abdominal ultrasound examination uses ultrasound to scan the stomach, which can observe the thickness, hierarchical structure, and surrounding organ conditions of the stomach wall. It has certain diagnostic value for gastric wall thickening, gastric stromal tumor, extragastric pressure disease or gastric retention. Before the examination, it is necessary to have an empty stomach and drink 500-800 milliliters of warm water to fill the stomach and form a good sound transmission window. Ultrasound examination is non-invasive and radiation free, suitable as a preliminary screening method, especially for children, pregnant women, or people who are not suitable for radiation examination. However, ultrasound is not effective in displaying subtle lesions on the surface of gastric mucosa and cannot replace gastroscopy.

5. Gastric function examination:

Gastric function examination mainly includes gastrin measurement, pepsinogen detection, and evaluation of gastric motility function. The levels of gastrin and pepsinogen can reflect the secretion function and degree of atrophy of the gastric mucosa, and are commonly used for screening chronic atrophic gastritis. Gastric motility function assessment can be performed through gastric emptying test or gastric electrogram to determine the presence of gastric paresis or gastric motility disorders. These examinations are usually used as auxiliary means, combined with gastroscopy and Helicobacter pylori testing results, to comprehensively evaluate the health status of the stomach. Fasting is required before examination, and medication that affects gastrointestinal motility should be avoided.

Daily maintenance of the stomach should pay attention to regular diet, avoid overeating and long-term consumption of spicy, overcooked, and pickled foods. Quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and reduce the intake of coffee and strong tea. Maintain emotional stability and avoid long-term mental stress. If symptoms such as upper abdominal pain, acid reflux, heartburn, nausea and vomiting, black stool, or unexplained weight loss occur, timely medical attention should be sought for targeted examinations. It is recommended that people over 40 years old or those with a family history of gastric cancer undergo regular gastroscopy screening to achieve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.