Diagnostic Tests for Diarrhea
Diagnostic Test list for Diarrhea: The list of diagnostic tests mentioned in various sources as used in the diagnosis of Diarrhea includes:
- Medical history
- Physical exam
- Stool culture
- Blood tests
- Fasting tests - for various food allergies
- Sigmoidoscopy
- Colonoscopy
Tests and diagnosis discussion for Diarrhea: Diagnostic tests to find the cause of diarrhea include the following:
- Medical history and physical examination. The doctor will need to
know about your eating habits and medication use and will examine you
for signs of illness.
- Stool culture. Lab technicians analyze a sample of stool to check
for bacteria, parasites, or other signs of disease or infection.
- Blood tests. Blood tests can be helpful in ruling out certain
diseases.
- Fasting tests. To find out if a food intolerance or allergy is
causing the diarrhea, the doctor may ask you to avoid lactose (found in
milk products), carbohydrates, wheat, or other foods to see whether the
diarrhea responds to a change in diet.
- Sigmoidoscopy. For this test, the doctor uses a special instrument
to look at the inside of the rectum and lower part of the colon.
- Colonoscopy. This test is similar to sigmoidoscopy, but the doctor looks at the entire colon.
Diagnosis of Diarrhea: medical news summaries: The following medical news items are relevant to diagnosis of Diarrhea:
- Celiac disease is a chronically undiagnosed and misdiagnosed condition
- Crohn’s patients suffering from bone loss benefit most from only calcium and vitamin D therapy
- Digestive system disorder is gaining awareness with it’s increasing prevalence amongst children
- Food allergies often confused with food intolerance
- Girls misdiagnosis leads to development of computer system to assist doctors in diagnosing patients
- Untreated appendicitis can lead to death
Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Diarrhea: NIDDK
Last revision: Nov 11, 2003
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