When to see a doctor
- Acidity or indigestion that keeps coming back
- Difficulty swallowing, or food feeling stuck
- Blood in your stools, even in small amounts
- A change in bowel habits, such as loose stools or constipation, for 3 weeks or more
- Ongoing stomach pain or bloating
- Losing weight without trying, or anaemia (low blood count) found on a blood test
Get urgent help if
- Vomiting blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, or black, sticky, tar-like stools
- Heavy bleeding from the back passage, or feeling faint, dizzy or breathless with any bleeding
- Food stuck in the throat or chest, and you cannot swallow even water
- Severe or worsening pain in the stomach, chest or neck, or a hard, swollen stomach, after a recent endoscopy or colonoscopy
- Fever, repeated vomiting, black stools, or more than a small amount of blood from the back passage after a recent test. A few streaks of blood can be normal if a tissue sample was taken or a small growth removed.
Call the hospital on +91 251 260 8502 (open 24 hours) or go to the nearest emergency department. For an ambulance, call 108. Do not wait for an OPD appointment.
How care usually works
- Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medicines and past health, and may examine your stomach. Blood tests, stool tests or a scan may be advised first, depending on your symptoms.
- If a test is needed, your care team will tell you how to prepare, including when to stop eating and drinking. For a colonoscopy, this includes bowel preparation (medicine that empties the bowel).
- For an endoscopy, a spray to numb the throat may be used. For either test, sedation (medicine, usually given by injection, to make you relaxed and sleepy) may be offered. The doctor may take a biopsy (a tiny tissue sample) or remove polyps (small growths on the lining of the gut). If your throat was numbed, do not eat or drink until the numbness wears off, usually about an hour. Then start with a sip of water.
- Like any procedure, these tests have small risks. These include bleeding, a reaction to sedation, or, rarely, a tear in the gut wall. Your doctor will explain them before you agree to the test.
- Afterwards, your doctor will explain what was seen. Biopsy results may take a few days to a few weeks. Next steps may include diet advice, medicines, follow-up or further treatment.
Typical hospital stay
This is usually a same-day test, and most people go home after a short rest, but your doctor will advise you. If you had sedation, an adult should take you home, and you should not drive or ride a two-wheeler for 24 hours.
Doctors for this treatment
Frequently asked questions
Why would I need an endoscopy or colonoscopy?
An endoscopy may be advised to find the cause of ongoing acidity, trouble swallowing, bleeding or anaemia. A colonoscopy may be advised for bowel changes or bleeding from the back passage. It may also be used as a check for people with a family history of bowel polyps or bowel cancer. The doctor can see the lining directly and take samples if needed. Your doctor will explain why it is suggested for you.
How should I prepare?
For an endoscopy, you are usually asked not to eat or drink anything, even tea or milk, for about 6 hours before. Your care team will tell you if small sips of water are allowed until a little later. For a colonoscopy, you may be asked to eat low-fibre food for a day or two. After that, you may have only clear liquids, such as water or clear soup, with no milk. The bowel preparation drink is often taken in two parts: the evening before and early on the morning of the test. It causes frequent loose stools, so stay near a toilet and drink the clear fluids you are advised. Tell your doctor about all your medicines, especially blood thinners (medicines that prevent clots), diabetes medicines and iron tablets. Also tell them if you have kidney or heart problems. Do not stop any medicine on your own unless your doctor tells you to.
Can I go home the same day?
Usually, yes, after resting until any sedation wears off. If you had sedation, an adult should take you home and stay with you for 24 hours. During this time, do not drive a car, ride a two-wheeler, use machinery, drink alcohol or sign important papers. Your doctor will tell you if a longer stay is needed.
Will the test be uncomfortable?
Many people feel some discomfort or pressure during the test. For an endoscopy, a numbing throat spray may be used, and sedation may be offered for either test. During a colonoscopy, you may feel cramping or bloating as air is used to open the bowel. Tell the team if you feel uncomfortable at any point.
A note about this page
This page is general information, not medical advice. Please see a doctor about your own symptoms.