How do you detect ulcers?
1. Endoscopy
- Upper endoscopy: A thin, flexible tube with a camera on the end is inserted into the esophagus to look for ulcers and other irregularities.
2. Biopsy
- This procedure is performed during an endoscopy. Small pieces of tissue are collected from the ulcers and examined under a microscope
3. Upper GI series
- The patient drinks a liquid called barium. This shows up on X-rays so any ulcer craters will not have any of the liquid in there and appear as spots with no barium present..
4. Capsule endoscopy:
- The patient swallows a tiny capsule which has two attached microcameras to provide real-time images as it moves
through the upper gastrointestinal tract.
5. Stool antigen tests
- This blood stool test helps check for small amounts of ulcer blood if there's visible bleeding but isn't conclusive to
confirm or refute ulcers.