Intestinal symptoms can indicate serious medical conditions and may require lab tests and X-rays for diagnosis. Symptoms range from pain to bleeding, constipation, cramping, and diarrhea. Infections, inflammation, and parasites can cause acute gastrointestinal problems, and elderly patients are at higher risk of complications. Keeping a record of symptoms can help determine patterns and aid in diagnosis.
Different types of intestinal symptoms often result from a variety of possible problems. Symptoms can range from intestinal pain to bloating, swelling of the abdomen and include constipation, cramping and diarrhea. You may also notice other symptoms, such as rectal bleeding and pain, dark stools, nausea, and vomiting. Persistent intestinal symptoms could indicate a serious medical condition and should not be ignored.
To determine an exact cause of your intestinal symptoms, a healthcare professional may order lab tests which could include blood tests or stool samples. He may request a series of upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tests and use both lab results and X-rays when diagnosing. Laboratory tests can identify whether an intestinal infection is present, as might be the case with diverticulitis, colon polyps, or intestinal parasites. Radiographs of the GI series can reveal whether there are, in fact, polyps or diverticula present in the colon, as well as show other possible causes of intestinal symptoms.
Intestinal symptoms that include bleeding are commonly associated with an intestinal infection and inflammation or with cancer. Symptoms may be obvious, as in the case of bloody diarrhea; however, bleeding is not always obvious and can only be discovered by a stool sample test. Constipation can lead to blockage in the intestines and diarrhea can lead to dehydration; both symptoms can cause severe intestinal pain. Nausea and vomiting may also be present with any of these gastrointestinal conditions.
An intestinal infection can be the cause of many acute gastrointestinal or digestive problems. Infections can occur when someone is exposed to intestinal parasites in their food or water or when the parasites enter the body from other sources. Infections are viral or bacterial, as is the case with parasites. Serious problems, such as appendicitis, even death can result. In the elderly, intestinal symptoms are more frequently ignored and infections account for a significant number of deaths in this group.
Intestinal inflammation can be painful, and the intestinal symptoms associated with this gastrointestinal distress mimic many of those associated with intestinal infections. Swelling or a feeling of fullness, however, are symptoms associated with inflammation. Gassiness and bloating in the intestines can be debilitating, and these symptoms are often associated with various types of inflammatory bowel disease (IDB).
When a patient experiences intestinal symptoms, it can be helpful to keep a record of the symptoms and when they occur. Keeping track of all symptoms can be helpful, no matter how minor they may seem. The registry can help determine the pattern and time frames for different or the same symptoms should testing become necessary.
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