3 Signs That You Should Schedule a Gastrointestinal Exam

When it comes to our overall health, it’s important to listen to our bodies. Often, more serious issues will initially reveal themselves through small symptoms and red flags. Listening to these signals will ensure we get the help we need before problems get too serious.

There are a wide variety of these kinds of signals to look out for. If you’re facing certain gastrointestinal issues, it may be time to schedule a gastrointestinal exam.

What are the signs you should look out for that will let you know when this time has come? Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.

1. Blood in Stool

If there’s a serious sign of trouble that you need to heed right away, it’s if you find blood in your stool. Rectal bleeding of any sort might be a sign that something is seriously awry in your body’s system.

This red flag isn’t always a sign of a severe issue, but it can certainly mean a number of quite serious things. Most often, it means there is some sort of bleeding going on somewhere in the length of your digestive tract.

The cause of this bleeding will vary from case to case, and will also be the deciding factor in how serious of a problem you are facing. In some instances, blood in the stool could be an indication of something as serious as cancer.

Keeping this in mind, it’s important to schedule an appointment as soon as possible when you recognize this issue.

2. Stomach Problems

Are you experience an upset stomach or abnormal bowel movements? It could be a sign that something isn’t quite as it should be in your digestive system.

Both constipation and diarrhea are often signaling that your stomach health is not what it should be. Of course, we’ve all experienced these issues in isolated incidents as our stomachs have dealt with a certain meal or an overall illness.

However, if you’re experiencing constipation or diarrhea that lasts many days, it’s a certain reason for concern. There might be something more serious happening in your system that an experienced doctor should take a look at.

3. Recurring Heartburn

An occurrence of heartburn from time to time is nothing out of the ordinary. However, if you’re experiencing frequent heartburn, it could be a sign that you’re struggling with some sort of illness.

Both GERD and esophageal cancer count frequent heartburn as one of their major symptoms. While experiencing this discomfort might not necessarily mean you’ve got a bad diagnosis ahead of you, visiting a doctor will be one of the only ways to make sure.

Seeking a Gastrointestinal Exam

If you’re a health-conscious person, you’re in touch with the signals that your body is sending you. If you’ve experienced any of the above, you’ll want to schedule a gastrointestinal exam at the earliest possible convenience.

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