Is gastroscopy harmful? How to check stomach problems? I don't want to do gastroscopy.

People who have been to the hospital to check for stomach problems may have had a gastroscopy. Gastroscopy is still very uncomfortable. The gastroscope needs to be inserted from the mouth along the esophagus and then into the stomach for examination. It is scary to think about it, so it is inevitable to worry about whether it will hurt the stomach. So besides gastroscopy, are there other ways to check for stomach problems?

Is gastroscopy harmful?

Gastroscopy does little harm to the body, it just causes a little nausea and discomfort, it is not as painful as people say, and it will not cause much harm to your health. As long as you cooperate with the doctor's operation, there will be no impact.

Today's endoscopes are becoming thinner and softer, and the field of view of the front endoscope is becoming wider and wider, so the possibility of directly causing perforation is very small. In addition, with the specialization of endoscopist training in recent years, the technology is becoming more mature. In clinical practice, it can be said that the possibility of perforation during gastroscopy is very rare and generally speaking, it is very safe.

However, these people should be careful when doing gastroscopy:

1. Patients with serious heart diseases such as severe heart rhythm disorders, active myocardial infarction, severe heart failure, etc.

2. Suffering from severe lung diseases such as asthma, respiratory failure and inability to lie flat.

3. Mental disorder, inability to cooperate independently, advanced age, or extremely weak physical condition.

4. The acute stage of esophageal, gastroduodenal perforation, acute severe throat diseases, and the acute stage of corrosive esophageal injury.

How to check gastric disease without gastroscopy

It is not necessary to do a gastroscopy to see a stomach disease. There are many types of stomach diseases. Each type of stomach disease is different, and the corresponding examination and treatment methods are slightly different. Therefore, when you want to check for stomach problems, you don’t necessarily have to do a gastroscopy. You still have to choose the appropriate examination method according to your personal situation.

In addition to gastroscopy, there are several other examination methods.

Endoscopic ultrasonography

This method can be used to diagnose whether there are lesions in deep tissues, and has certain diagnostic significance for gastric cancer with obvious masses.

Barium meal X-ray examination

This method requires the use of contrast media, and after effective flow of contrast media, the morphological characteristics of the stomach are determined by X-ray examination methods.

Urea breath test

The method can be used to diagnose the presence of Helicobacter pylori and to diagnose lesions in the stomach.

Stool routine

This method can be used to measure bleeding in the stomach and better judge some abnormalities in the digestive tract.

Do healthy people need to do gastroscopy?

If a person has a family member with gastrointestinal tumors, it is recommended to have a gastroscopy screening every 1 to 2 years starting from the age of 40. People who usually have symptoms such as acid reflux, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, belching, abdominal distension, upper abdominal discomfort and pain, loss of appetite, indigestion, etc. should have a gastroscopy as soon as possible.

If you do not have a history of digestive tract tumors, you can have a gastroscopy every 2 to 3 years starting at age 43. Gastroscopy can greatly increase the rate of early cancer detection and greatly improve the treatment effect. It can give doctors and patients a chance to completely defeat gastric cancer.