How to Get Tested for Crohn's Disease

Because the symptoms of Crohn's disease are similar to several other conditions, your physician need to perform several tests to determine if you have the disease. Your doctor performs some these tests to rule out other conditions and analyzes other test results for common Crohn's symptoms.

Instructions

• 1

  Write down your medical history, including bowel movements, mucus or blood in your stool and changes in the shape or number of bowel movements. Your doctor needs to evaluate your family and sexual history. Also important to note is any travel to foreign countries. You need to describe your abdominal pain and if the pain gets better after a bowel movement.

• 2

  Complete a physical exam. Your doctor needs to feel your abdomen, perform a rectal exam, listen to your bowel sounds and examine your eyes, skin, joints and mouth. Sometimes a pelvic exam is performed on women.

• 3

  Undergo further testing if necessary. A colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy allows the doctor to view the inside of the colon. A biopsy of intestinal tissue, an MRI and/or CT scan and a barium enema are other tests. These let the physician to visually examine the large intestine including the anus and colon. Sometimes a video capsule endoscopy is used, in which you swallow a tiny camera which films its trip through your intestines.

• 4

  Let your doctor perform non-physical tests such as examination of the stool to check for blood, bacterial infection or parasites. Your doctor also examines your stool for white blood cells, which would rule out IBS. The presence of white cells doesn't mean you have Crohn's.