Digestive system problems are becoming increasingly common among both adults and children. The main predisposing factors to the occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases are an unbalanced diet, a sedentary lifestyle, bad habits and chronic stress. A gastroenterologist diagnoses and treats diseases of the digestive organs. In Sevastopol, you can get an appointment with a gastroenterologist at the medical office. You can make an appointment at a time convenient for you by phone.
Who exactly is a gastroenterologist?
The content of the article
Many of us, when thinking about the digestive system and human gastroenterology, limit ourselves to the stomach and intestines. However, the specialization of a gastroenterologist includes the diagnosis and treatment of the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts, liver dysfunctions and diseases.
As more and more research establishes a definite connection between human health and changes in intestinal microflora, microbial imbalance is also becoming one of the areas of focus for gastroenterologists.
How does the reception work?
At the beginning of an outpatient appointment, the doctor asks in detail about the patient’s complaints, the presence of concomitant diseases, and heredity. After this, they proceed to a physical examination, including palpation, percussion, and auscultation of the abdomen. The gastroenterologist studies the results of previously performed tests and, if necessary, prescribes additional examinations to clarify the diagnosis. The appointment ends with drawing up a treatment plan, the doctor also gives recommendations on lifestyle changes and sets a date for the next visit.
Diseases treated by a gastroenterologist
The most common diseases and disorders that are diagnosed and treated by gastroenterologists are:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS);
- Celiac disease (gluten intolerance);
- Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease);
- Gallbladder diseases (stone disease, polyps, dyskinesia);
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD);
- Hemorrhoids, anal rupture;
- Gastrointestinal polyps;
- Ulcer (ulcers of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum);
- Acute and chronic inflammation of the pancreas.
Haemorrhoids
Gastrointestinal polyps
We can identify six situations in which you should consider consulting a gastroenterologist:
Pediatric gastroenterology
Gastrointestinal diseases affect not only adults, but also children, starting from infancy. The most common diseases encountered in pediatric gastroenterology are gastric ulcers, celiac disease, duodenitis, and gastritis. Often, parents bring their children to the doctor for examination, complaining of diarrhea, constipation, cramps and pain in the liver and lower abdomen. The main peak of detection of gastrointestinal pathologies in children occurs at the ages of 5-6 and 9-11 years.
If your child of school or preschool age regularly exhibits symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases, be sure to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist. At the Vitacor gastroenterology department, you can undergo examination with your whole family at once.
Defecation disorder
- Constipation
. If you defecate less than three times a week, this may be a manifestation of not only pathologies of the intestine itself, but also problems with neurological, endocrine or microbial imbalance. Constipation can also be caused by poor diet and low fiber and water intake. A gastroenterologist will determine what is causing your constipation. - Diarrhea (diarrhea)
. This is frequent bowel movements with watery, loose stools three or more times a day. Many people experience this disorder several times a year or more. Diarrhea can be acute or chronic. Acute diarrhea often lasts one or two days, while chronic diarrhea can last several months.
How much does consultation and treatment cost with a paid gastroenterologist in Podolsk
The cost of treatment in our private medical center depends on the nature and complexity of the disease, and the characteristics of the therapy prescribed to the patient. A hospital stay is paid separately if a person requires hospitalization.
| Service | Price, rub. |
| Initial appointment with a gastroenterologist | from 1 500 |
| Repeated appointment with a gastroenterologist | from 1 300 |
| Initial appointment with a specialist doctor with registration of a certificate of incapacity for work | 2 500 |
| Repeated appointment with a specialist doctor with a certificate of incapacity for work | 2 000 |
The total cost of treatment is also affected by the diagnostic procedures prescribed to the patient by the doctor to make a diagnosis. You can view detailed prices for ultrasound and other studies of the gastroenterological spectrum in our price list in the functional diagnostics section.
The final cost of treating the disease will be announced to you by a gastroenterologist after consultation, examination and diagnosis.
Frequent heartburn
Many people know what heartburn is. It is important to understand that occasional heartburn should not be a cause for concern. However, if you feel heartburn constantly and there is a frequent need to take antacids, you should not think that this is the norm.
Frequent heartburn
Frequent heartburn can be a sign of gastritis, ulcers, dysbiosis, candidiasis, or gastric hernia. If your heartburn is accompanied by any of the symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing, food getting stuck, or painful swallowing, you should see a gastroenterologist immediately as this could be a sign of cancer.
When reflux is diagnosed, treatment is prescribed, and in rare cases, even surgical treatment may be recommended for a gastric hernia.
Principles of providing gastroenterological care
Regardless of whether the specialist is seeing you in a public or private gastroenterology office, the principles of the general examination remain identical. The initial examination involves palpation and measurements of key indicators (pulse, pressure, ECG) to create a general clinical picture.
The doctor also collects the patient’s medical history and, based on the information received, writes out a number of referrals for tests. After the results of the initial laboratory test, additional diagnostics may be necessary; the patient may be sent for instrumental studies.
A number of additional diagnostic methods are not included in the list of primary examinations, which entails a financial burden for the patient.
Additional diagnostic approaches can be used:
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
- fibrocolonoscopy;
- esophagogastroduodenoscopy;
- MRI of the abdominal organs with and without contrast;
- liver fibroscanning;
- virtual colonoscopy;
- retrograde cholangiography.
Sometimes, if genetic abnormalities or rare diseases are suspected, a DNA test may be needed.
Treatment will be prescribed strictly based on the examination results, so it is personalized. The treatment regimen may include the following approaches in combination and separately:
- use of pharmaceuticals;
- herbal medicine or similar options for help from a naturotherapist;
- dietetics and scheduling of rational nutrition and lifestyle;
- non-drug treatment methods, such as physiotherapy, acupuncture, laser therapy, pressure chamber, physical therapy.
Sometimes surgery is necessary. This means that the patient will need to consult a surgeon.
Painful swallowing (odynophagia) or food getting stuck (dysphagia)
Certain digestive disorders can cause difficulty swallowing or an inability to swallow food or even liquids. If you experience frequent esophageal pain and difficulty swallowing, or if swallowing becomes difficult over time, see a gastroenterologist.
In such cases, endoscopic examination of the esophagus and stomach (gastroscopy) is necessary to determine the cause of the complaints.
If you're considering choosing a specialist, remember that gastroenterologists are specially trained to treat complex digestive system conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, or SIBO, and are always available to help you.
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What does gastroscopy show?
A gastroenterologist prescribes gastroscopy to a patient if he needs to examine the gastric mucosa. This procedure allows you to detect and confirm diseases such as esophagitis, ulcers, GERD, duodenitis and esophageal diverticula with 100% accuracy. During such an examination, the doctor can see and find various neoplasms, signs of chronic gastritis and obstruction of the esophagus.
Features:
- the study takes place very quickly - only 1-2 minutes;
- carried out under local anesthesia - this helps stop the gag reflex;
- During diagnosis, the examinee lies on his side - this is the most comfortable position for both the patient and the specialist conducting the examination.
If a gastroenterologist has prescribed a gastroscopy for you, there is no need to be afraid or refuse the examination. The value of this procedure from a diagnostic point of view is very high. No other study will give such results as gastroscopy.
Thanks to the use of high-tech equipment, the patient experiences virtually no discomfort during gastroscopy.
What tests do you need to undergo before your appointment?
Every patient wants to save money, and this is absolutely normal. However, independently ordering and undergoing examinations leads to a completely opposite result: some of them will turn out to be unnecessary, while others, on the contrary, will have to be taken additionally.
The maximum you can do is take a general blood test with leukemia formula. This will help you understand whether there is an inflammatory process in your body and assess your overall health. But you shouldn’t take a blood test for biochemistry before visiting a doctor - after a visual examination and taking an anamnesis, the specialist will write out a referral where he will indicate the indicators he is interested in (the more of them, the higher the price of the analysis). Typically this is:
- total protein,
- ALT and AST,
- total and direct bilirubin,
- glucose,
- cholesterol.
It is important! Only a specialist can interpret the test results. If you do not understand the diagnosis of a gastroenterologist and want to understand the problem in detail, do not hesitate to ask questions.
Prevention of gastrointestinal diseases
There are general rules of life that can significantly reduce the harmful effects on the gastrointestinal tract and extend the period of its flawless operation:
- eat more often, but in portions not exceeding 350 ml;
- exclude chips, crackers, marinades, smoked meats;
- every day eat a portion of oatmeal, buckwheat, wheat or millet porridge;
- replace white bread with bran bread;
- reduce the amount of fat in the diet;
- eat a portion of fresh vegetable salad every day;
- drink at least 1.5 liters of liquid;
- include natural probiotics in your diet: kombucha, fermented milk products, sauerkraut;
- exclude carbonated drinks;
- do not abuse coffee;
- exclude medications from the NSAID group (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs);
- If possible, avoid alcohol.
If these measures become a way of your life, then the likelihood of developing a chronic gastrointestinal disease will become much lower. Also, this will help avoid recurrence of diseases that have already occurred, but have been successfully treated.
How effective is treatment via the Internet?
In recent years, “popular” medicine has been developing at hyperbolic speeds. Hundreds of websites are appearing, explaining the causes of diseases, performing remote diagnostics, prescribing treatment, and advertising so-called “folk remedies” for illnesses. So, by looking at a site of this kind, you can conduct a self-diagnosis within a few minutes, identify the disease, and immediately receive a “treatment prescription.” Without tests and examinations, easily, quickly and free of charge, a “doctor” without education or qualifications recommends diets, medications, and cleansing of the body. Such self-medication, at best, will not have any effect on the body, at worst, it will aggravate the situation. It’s one thing when a specialist with a medical education provides popular information to show the essence of the problem, talk about existing treatment methods in Russia or abroad, medicinal and herbal preparations, their effects on the body as a whole or on certain systems and organs, and warns about possible consequences in the absence of treatment, etc. It’s another matter when correspondence recommendations and advertising of dosage forms are provided in the form of a “prescription”.
In this regard, the role of a gastroenterologist as an educator is strengthened: it is necessary to explain to the population that refusal of professional medical care, if necessary, is fraught with serious negative consequences.
It is impossible to recommend treatment in absentia based on reports from site users, much less prescribe medications. Perhaps a person mistakenly identifies the disease. If the patient has a number of chronic concomitant diseases, for example, diabetes, heart and vascular diseases, an incorrectly prescribed drug can provoke a sharp deterioration in health, and sometimes lead to death. Before transferring information from medical sites to yourself, make sure that you are dealing with certified specialists in their field. When advertising a treatment method or medications, a competent gastroenterologist will definitely indicate that before treatment it is necessary to consult with the attending physician and conduct an examination. Be carefull!
