Reasons To Have An Endoscopy.
Some Common Causes Of Dysphagia, Or Difficulty In Swallowing.
Some of us may be familiar with the medical term endoscopy. Endoscopy is a procedure performed by a specialist, such as a gastroenterologist. It can be defined at the opposite spectrum of colonoscopy. Which is an internal examination of your colon with an instrument called an endoscope. The endoscope usually has a small camera on one end, that sends an image back to a video monitor. On the other end of the cable, is a cutting tool. This cutting tool, is used to take samples of tissue, for biopsies. It can also be used to remove excess tissue.
Endoscopies are useful procedures and helps your doctor looks for abnormal conditions going on within the lower and upper gastrointestinal tract. Diseases like cancer are some abnormal conditons that can be detected with an endoscope.hrough, for signs of cancer and other disease processes.
If you have have had an endoscopy in the past, or are scheduled to have one by your physician in the near future. Than your doctor may have ordered this particular medical test; because you have had trouble swallowing lately. There are also a few other reasons that your healthcare provider may order a endoscopy for your.
One reason may be because on a few individual office visits, your doctor may notice that your hemoglobin, or iron level is below normal. There are many different reasons why someone may have a low iron count, on his or her laboratory report. And they do not have to be a direct result of iron deficiency anemia for example.
On occasion individuals develop ulcers within the stomach, or on the esophagus region. These ulcers in turn may bleed, or cause some minimal blood loss over time. This small loss of blood through this route, may in turn cause anemia to occur, in an otherwise healthy individual. An endoscopy will be able to detect bleeding in the esophagus, or stomach areas, that may contribute to anemic conditions.
If you are an individual who suffers from (GERD), or Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease. Then you may be familiar with the term endoscopy. Your healthcare provider may have performed one, or more of these procedures on you in the past. And this was performed, in an effort to look for signs of erosive conditons, in and around the stomach area, or esophagus as previously mentioned.
Another reason why an endoscopy may be scheduled for you, is because you have been have Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. And have had this problem for quite some time. But had no idea what could be causing this problem; after swallowing a beverage or food. A friend of mine mentioned to me recently that he told his doctor, that he had difficulty swallowing since he was a teenager.
Now at forty years of age, he still had this problem. After the doctor performed the colonoscopy, which he was originally scheduled to have that morning. He decided to do an endoscopy at the same time. And upon examination found that my friends throat was closed off by more then 75%.
There was a lot of fatty tissue that had developed around the esophagus area since he was a kid. While the scope and camera was down my friends throat, his doctor proceeded to remove this extra accumulation of fatty tisse away from the throat, with a small cutting tool, attached at the other end of the endoscope.
.As a result of having this procedure performed, he is now able to enjoy his food much more, without having to gulp down a half glass of water after each bite of his meal. All he had to put up afterward was a mild sore throat for about a day and a half, after the procedure was performed.
An endoscopy procedure like the one previously mentioned to remove tissue from around the throat area is not uncommon. And people who do suffer from Dysphagia or similar esophageal issue, may find this procedure a solution to their problem.
Endoscopies are virtually painless and to add are minimally invasive. Your are literally in a twilight sleep for about thirty minutes while this procedure is performed. Usually an intravenous drip, with an anesthetic within, is placed in your vein. Also anesthethic sprays are sometimes used; to place you into that twilight sleep longer enough to perform the endoscopy.
So the next time you are at your healthcare provider, for a routine office visit. And he or she suggests that you have an endoscopy. Do not panic whatever you do. Because this is a very simple medical procedure, that can save you from developing much more serious problems in the future.