Capsule Endoscopy- Role and importance. Who is it for?

Digestive problems have become prevalent in today’s time. Several causative factors are there which lead to different types of digestion problems like lifestyle problems, obesity, improper eating schedule, intermittent fasting, consumption of NSIDs and more. Out of different types of digestive problems, the upper GI tract is impacted the most. The upper gastrointestinal tract consists of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and the entire stomach.

In most cases, the infections or health problems occur in the internal layer of the GI tract which is why medical professionals need to adopt new processes for examining the issue properly and draw the right conclusion for the same. One of the major diagnosis processes that is used to examine the upper gastrointestinal tract is capsule endoscopy.

What is capsule endoscopy?

In the traditional form of endoscopy, doctors used a thin tubular pipe with a camera and light fitted to its mouth. However, the process is extremely painful and uncomfortable. Patients suffer from throat aches for at least 3 to 5 days post the procedure is completed.

In order to get rid of this problem, the concept of capsule endoscopy has been adopted by many hospitals and healthcare professionals. It is the process through which a wireless camera is used for seeing the condition of the inner mucosa layer of the upper GI tract.

For whom capsule endoscopy is suggested?

Capsule endoscopy is used for any person suffering from:

• Bleeding of the inner mucosa layer of the stomach

• Any form of problem in the esophagus like dried inner lining or collapsed tube

• Lesions formed on the inner lining of the stomach

• Intense burn and ache in the upper abdominal region

How does the capsule endoscopy process work?

The capsule endoscopy process is conducted in a much different manner as compared to the traditional form of endoscopic diagnosis. In this below section, we have explained how the procedure is carried on.

• First, you need to complete the preparatory methods. For this, you need to drink a solution that will clear any form of gas formed. If there is gas in your stomach, the pictures will be hazy and the professional will have to perform the examination once again.

• After this, you need to wear a special recording device around the waist region. It is meant to record and store the entire video of the capsule moving through the entire gut column.

• Sometimes, advanced recording devices are used where electrode patches are stuck with the skin over your chest and abdominal region.

• You have to swallow a small capsule inside which the camera will be present. For this, you can take water to ensure that the pill doesn’t get stuck in the throat region.

• You won’t have to wait for the doctor to check what’s going on with the inner GI tract.

• Instead, you can return back to your daily activities as the capsule will do its work. The duration usually varies between 8 and 10 hours.

• All the videos and pictures will be recorded and stored in the device you have worn around your stomach.

What facts should a person know about capsule endoscopy?

You just do not drink any liquid or take snacks for the next two hours after you have swallowed the pill. Make sure to follow the doctor’s instructions properly so that you don’t have to repeat the same process once again due to blurred images.

Conclusion

Capsule endoscopy is a recent development in the medical field that has obliterated the pain points of traditional endoscopy. However, many hospitals are yet to adopt this new process due to a lack of access to modern healthcare equipment units. This is why you need to ensure that you discuss capsule endoscopy with your doctor before you schedule an appointment for the examination. you can also visit Medipulse hospital or can consult with our Doctors to get the best information regarding Endoscopy

Gallstones: Symptoms, Causes, Risks, Treatment, Diet, & More

The gallbladder is an organ in our digestive system that is located under the liver. The gallbladder stores bile that is produced by the liver. It is a green-yellow fluid that is used for the digestion of food. The gallbladder can be affected by gallstones if the cholesterol level in your bile is at an excessive amount.

Gallbladder stones can be painful and, in severe cases, may even require surgical intervention to remove the stones from your body. Here is all the information regarding the symptoms, causes, risks, and treatment of gallstones that you need to know.

Symptoms

One of the first gallstones symptoms can be intense pain in the upper right part of your abdomen. It can be triggered by your dietary habits, especially if you have a lot of fried food with high-fat content. The pain from gallstones does not last for a very long time. On average, the pain lasts for a few hours each time. Apart from the pain, there are other symptoms for gallstones as well, this includes:

• Vomiting

• Nausea

• Stomach Pain

• Dark urine

• Clay-coloured stool

• Diarrhoea

• Burping

• Indigestion

Asymptomatic gallstones

Gallstones are not painful by nature; the pain is caused by the blockage of bile movement from the gallbladder caused by gallstones. Since gallstones are inherently painless, studies by the American College of Gastroenterology have shown that almost 80% of people suffer from silent gallstones. In such cases, the usual symptoms of gallstones are not experienced by the patient. They are only discovered by the doctors in abdominal X-rays or when performing abdominal surgery on the patient.

Causes

A medical study has shown 80% of gallstones are made out of cholesterol, the remaining 20% is made out of bilirubin and calcium salts. As the major part of gallstones is made out of cholesterol, people with high cholesterol levels in their blood are more susceptible to gallstones. Some of the other causes of gallstones include:

When your bile consists of plenty of Bilirubin

Bilirubin is a chemical fluid produced by the liver. Its purpose is to destroy old red blood cells from the body. Due to liver disorders and some other types of blood disorders, the liver produces excessive amounts of Bilirubin. This excessive secretion of Bilirubin causes the formation of dark brown or black gallstones that are pigmented. These gallstones are formed due to the gallbladder being unable to break down the excessive amounts of Bilirubin.

When your bile consists of excessive amounts of cholesterol

Cholesterol rich gallstones develop when the cholesterol level produced by your liver is more than what bile available in your body can dissolve. Cholesterol rich gallstones tend to be yellow in colour.

When the gallbladder is unable to empty itself leading to concentrated bile

The gallbladder is an organ that functions best when it can properly store and empty its bile contents without any hindrance. When the gallbladder cannot empty its contents of bile in an orderly fashion, it leads to the development of concentrated bile that eventually leads to the formation of gallstones.

Risks

Gallstones have many risk factors, some of which are controllable while others are uncontrollable. The controllable risk factors generally relate to a person’s diet. The uncontrollable factors delve into the person’s gender, sex, age, race, family history. These factors can’t be changed; Hence they are called the uncontrollable risk factors of gallstones.

Controllable risk factors

• Having obesity or being overweight

• Suffering from diabetes mellitus

• Suffering from sudden weight loss in a very short period of time

• Eating a high fibre diet that is fat and cholesterol heavy and also low in fibre.

Uncontrollable risk factors

• Being Female

• Belonging to the Native American race

• Being over 40

• Belonging to the Hispanic and Mexican ethnicity

• Having liver disease

• Gallstones can lead to different types of complications they are mentioned below:

Complications

• Inflamed gallbladder: The inflammation of the gallbladder can be very painful and even cause fever. The inflammation is caused when a gallstone is created at the neck of the gallbladder. The gallstone stops the flow of bile out of your liver and causes the inflammation of the gallbladder.

• Gallbladder cancer: Gallbladder cancer is a condition that affects people that have a history of gallstones. This type of cancer is highly rare, and even with a history of gallstones, the probability of being affected by gallbladder cancer remains considerably low.

Treatment

The treatment of gallstones is commonly done through surgery. However, it is possible that you might not need surgery. This is because, more often than not, gallstones do not show any symptoms or pain. People often pass their stones without feeling any pain. In case you are feeling pain from gallstones, doctors might recommend getting surgery. In rare cases, even medicinal treatment is used for curing gallstones.

Diet

For dietary practices maintaining a low fat and cholesterol diet is one of the key factors to protect yourself from the risk of gallstones. Gallstones often contain mostly cholesterol, so it is essential to maintain the cholesterol levels in your body. Avoiding food that can increase your cholesterol levels can help you keep your gallstone risk in check.