Dyspepsia

Diagnosis

Dyspepsia can be a symptom of several digestive disorders. It's important to find the precise cause so you can get the right treatment. Mayo Clinic doctors start with a complete health history and a thorough physical exam. This exam may be enough to indicate a cause for your dyspepsia.

Mayo doctors also use these tests:

• Endoscopy. Inspects the esophagus, stomach and upper part of the small intestine (duodenum). A tissue sample may be taken for analysis (biopsy). Endoscopy can diagnose GERD, peptic ulcers and gastric cancer.
• Gastrointestinal transit study. Measures how food moves through your digestive tract. Mayo Clinic specialists use a four-hour study of the stomach to obtain the most precise results.
• Gastric accommodation test. Measures how much the stomach expands after a meal. This test was developed by Mayo Clinic researchers.
• Gastroduodenal manometry. Tests the muscles and nerves involved in digestion. This test may be used if you have severe weight loss or very abnormal movement of food through your digestive tract. At Mayo Clinic you rest in place throughout the test, which lasts five to six hours, to obtain the most accurate results.
• Tests for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) stomach bacteria. Tests for the bacteria associated with peptic ulcers. H. pylori can also cause chronic indigestion without producing an ulcer. Mayo doctors analyze your breath (urea breath test) and stool (stool antigen test) to determine if you're infected with H. pylori.

Read more about endoscopy at MayoClinic.com.