What is Gastroenterology? What Does Gastroenterology Look For? (Guide to Digestive System Diseases)

Complaints related to the digestive system can quickly reduce the quality of daily life: heartburn, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea-constipation cycle, difficulty swallowing or blood in the stool can cause both anxiety and the question “Which doctor should I see?”. This is where gastroenterology comes into play. In this article, we will comprehensively cover curious topics such as “what is gastroenterology?”, “what does gastroenterology look for?”, which diseases gastroenterology doctor / gastroenterologist deals with, in which symptoms to make an appointment and in which cases to apply to the emergency room.

Our aim is to help you understand your digestive system complaints more accurately and to make it easier for you to turn to the right branch. In addition, we have added short and understandable explanations to frequently searched topics such as digestive system diseases, endoscopy, colonoscopy throughout the article. (Note: This content is for general information purposes; a physician evaluation is absolutely necessary for diagnosis and treatment)

What is Gastroenterology?

Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine that studies the digestive system and organs related to digestion. although “gastro” refers to the stomach and “enterology” refers to the intestines, the scope of gastroenterology is not limited to this. A gastroenterologist diagnoses, treats and monitors diseases of the entire digestive tract and some auxiliary organs.

The main organs and systems that gastroenterology deals with are as follows:

• The esophagus (esophagus): Conditions such as reflux, dysphagia, esophagitis
• Stomach: Gastritis, ulcer, Helicobacter pylori infection
• Small and large intestines: IBS (irritable bowel), Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, celiac, chronic diarrhea/constipation
• Liver: Fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis follow-up
• Gallbladder and biliary tract: Stones and problems associated with bile flow (evaluation and referral)
• Pancreas: Suspicion of pancreatitis and follow-up of some pancreatic diseases

In short, although it is known as “stomach and intestine doctor”, gastroenterology is a broad specialty that covers all steps of digestion. If your complaints are prolonged, recurrent or affect your daily life, an evaluation by a gastroenterology doctor may be the right start.

What Does Gastroenterology Look For? (What Diseases and Problems)

the answer to the question “What does gastroenterology look for?” is actually the answer to the question “What can go wrong in the digestive system?”. Below, we have listed which diseases does gastroenterology look at in an organ-based and practical way.

Related to esophagus (esophagus)

• Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD): Stomach acid escaping into the esophagus, causing burning and heartburn
• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia): Feeling stuck when swallowing solid/liquid foods
• Esophagitis: Inflammation/damage to the esophagus

About the stomach

• Gastritis and ulcer: Stomach pain, burning, nausea
• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori): Bacterium associated with ulcers and gastritis
• Functional dyspepsia: Indigestion without a structural cause

About the intestines

• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome): Abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea/constipation attacks
• IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases): **Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Celiac disease: Immune response triggered by gluten; diarrhea, weight loss, anemia may be observed
• chronic diarrhea / chronic constipation: Investigation of the underlying cause
• Diverticular disease (evaluation and follow-up)

Liver, bile ducts and pancreas

• Fatty liver (hepatosteatosis): May be associated with metabolic conditions
• Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver due to viral or other causes
• Liver enzyme elevation: Investigation of the cause
• Suspicion of gallstones and bile flow problems (management with related branches if necessary)
• evaluation of pancreas-related conditions such as suspicion of pancreatitis

This list provides a general framework for digestive system diseases. Factors such as duration of complaints, accompanying findings and age change the diagnostic approach; therefore, individualized evaluation is important.

Which Complaints to Visit Gastroenterology (Symptom → Branch Guide)

the clearest answer to the question “When to see a gastroenterologist?” is to read the symptoms correctly. The following list summarizes the most common complaints for which an evaluation by a gastroenterologist may be appropriate:

Common symptoms

• Heartburn, heartburn, burning in the chest (especially if recurring frequently)
• abdominal pain (especially if it lasts longer than 2-3 weeks or recurs)
• Bloating and gas, marked discomfort after meals
• Nausea and vomiting, anorexia
• diarrhea or constipation (prolonged, irregular)
• Blood in the stool, tarry appearance of the stool close to black
• Weight loss (involuntary)
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin/white of the eyes), dark urine-light stools
• Difficulty swallowing or feeling stuck in the throat
• Anemia (iron deficiency) and accompanying digestive complaints

Practical mini-routing (to reduce confusion)

• “**Which doctor to go to for reflux?” → Often gastroenterology
• “**Which doctor to go to for gastritis?” → gastroenterology or internal medicine for initial evaluation; gastroenterology if necessary
• “**Which doctor to go to for diarrhea?” → gastroenterology if long/recurrent
• “**Which doctor to go to for constipation?” → **gastroenterology if chronic
• “Which department is responsible for blood in stool? “ → Emergency evaluation may be required first; then gastroenterology (referral according to the cause)

If you have these symptoms, taking note of when the complaints started, what increases or decreases them, the medications you use and previous test results, if any, will speed up the examination.

Related content: Reflux symptoms and treatment approaches and What is celiac disease?

What Tests Does Gastroenterology Order? Endoscopy and Colonoscopy Brief Information + Urgent Warnings

The gastroenterologist may plan some tests after the examination according to your complaint. although the answer to the question “Which tests does gastroenterology order?” varies according to the individual, the most commonly used tests are the following:

Frequently requested tests

• Blood tests: Anemia, inflammation markers, liver function tests, pancreatic enzymes, etc.
• Stool tests: Infection, occult blood, some inflammation markers
• Imaging: Liver-biliary tract evaluation by methods such as ultrasound (further imaging if necessary)
• Endoscopy: To evaluate the lining of the esophagus-stomach-t duodenum
• Colonoscopy: Evaluation of the large intestine; in some cases a biopsy may be taken

General information about endoscopy and colonoscopy

searches for “What is endoscopy?” and “What is colonoscopy?” are very common. These procedures allow the internal surface of the digestive tract to be visualized with a camera. The physician may recommend these procedures according to your complaints, age, family history and accompanying findings. Pre-procedure preparation (such as fasting, medication regimen, bowel cleansing) may vary according to the protocols of the centers; therefore, the instructions given to you before the appointment should be taken as basis.

Further reading: What is endoscopy, how is it performed? and What is colonoscopy, who is it recommended for?

###When to contact the emergency room (Red flags) It is important to get emergency help without waiting in the following situations

• Vomiting blood or vomiting like coffee grounds
• Black, tarry stools or copious red bleeding
• Sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, abdominal stiffness
• Fainting, severe weakness, suspicion of bleeding with rapid pulse
• High fever + abdominal pain, general condition deterioration
• Severe symptoms such as rapidly developing wetness and altered consciousness

Gastroenterology or Internal Medicine? General Surgery? (Short Comparison)

“Which department should I go to?” is a very common question. To put it in simple terms:

• Internal Medicine (Internal Diseases): May be a good start for general evaluation. In some gastrointestinal complaints, he/she performs the first examination and refers to a gastroenterologist if necessary.
• Gastroenterology: Performs more specialized evaluation of digestive system diseases; can plan interventional diagnostic methods such as endoscopy/colonoscopy.
• General Surgery: It plays a role in the surgical treatment of some digestive system problems, especially conditions that require surgery such as gallstone surgery and appendicitis. Patients may also be followed up together with gastroenterology.

If your complaint is more of the “has been present for a long time and recurs” type, gastroenterology; if it is “sudden onset and very severe”, emergency evaluation (and surgery if necessary) may be a higher priority.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do you go to a gastroenterology appointment hungry?

Not always. Fasting may be necessary if a procedure such as a blood test or endoscopy is planned, but this depends on the nature of the appointment. It is best to follow the information provided before the appointment.

Does gastroenterology treat children?

There is a separate specialty for children, Pediatric Gastroenterology. Pediatric gastroenterology or pediatric health and diseases evaluation may be appropriate depending on the child’s age and complaints.

Which complaints does a gastroenterologist look for?

Most commonly; reflux, gastritis/ulcer, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea-constipation, blood in the stool, jaundice, elevated liver enzymes.

Conclusion: How to Prepare Before Going to Gastroenterology?

the summary of “What is gastroenterology?” and “What does gastroenterology look for**?” is this: Gastroenterology covers a large part of the digestive system and is the right specialty for many digestive system diseases. The following will make it easier for you when going on an appointment:

• Note your complaints (date of onset, frequency, triggers)
• List the medicines and supplements you take
• Take previous examinations/reports with you
• Indicate if there is a family history of bowel disease, celiac disease, colon cancer

Digestive complaints can be prolonged if neglected, and early assessment often makes the process more manageable. If you want to scroll through the content: Guide to digestive system diseases.