Dyspepsia

Diagnosis

Doctors diagnose functional dyspepsia only after eliminating other possible causes for a patient's symptoms, such as a peptic ulcer, diabetes, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In addition to taking a medical history, doctors may order a variety of tests to better understand the patient's digestion. Some advanced tests were developed at Mayo Clinic and are not available at many other centers.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) Stomach Bacteria

A test for H. pylori bacteria is usually done to help rule out peptic ulcer as the cause for dyspepsia. The bacteria can also sometimes cause symptoms in the absence of an ulcer. The test is offered as a breath test to measure an enzyme produced by the bacteria (urea breath test) or as a stool test looking for an immune response to the bacteria (stool antigen test).

Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Endoscopy is sometimes used to rule out other possible causes for dyspepsia such as a peptic ulcer, reflux esophagitis, or cancer (rare). Endoscopy involves the insertion of a lighted, flexible tube (endoscope) with a camera on its tip through the patient's mouth to examine the gastrointestinal tract and take a tissue sample (biopsy). Patients are given a local anesthetic or a sedative for the procedure.

Gastrointestinal or "Whole Gut" Transit Study

This test measures bowel motility — how material moves through the digestive tract: the stomach, the small bowel and the colon. The test involves ingesting a capsule and a meal containing radioactive markers. A special camera tracks the marker's progress through the digestive tract.

Gastric Accommodation Test

This test measures how much the stomach expands after a meal. People with dyspepsia tend to have stiff stomachs that don't easily expand to accommodate food. A special radioactive marker is injected and, using a special camera, stomach volume is measured before and after a liquid meal.

Satiety (Liquid Meal) Test

This test measures the volume of liquid that someone can drink and the feeling of fullness that is induced.

Gastroduodenal Manometry

This test measures the functioning of muscles and nerves involved in digestion. It's generally performed only for patients with very severe symptoms.