What could be wrong with me, if I’ve had an ultrasound and an endoscopy and had nothing come up?

March 5, 2010

An ultrasound is a high frequency sound imaging technique used to view body structures under the skin such as tissues, tendons, muscles, joints, and so on. The ultrasound machine emits a high frequency sound and uses the echo of various parts of the body to form an image of the part being scanned. The high frequency sound is not audible to humans. This is a popular technique amongst doctors as it provides an image of the area which can then be analyzed for any irregularities.

An endoscopy literally means 'to look inside'. It is an invasive technique by which an endoscope is inserted into the body of the patient to look for any possible signs of anything unusual which would help diagnosing a medical problem. An upper endoscopy is conducted through the patient's throat under partial or complete sedation. This is conducted so as to help the doctor view the throat lining, the stomach and the upper intestine. A lower endoscopy, also known as a colonoscopy is conducted by inserting the endoscope through the anus. This provides the doctor an image of the lower intestine and the colon areas. The limitation of the endoscope is that it can only view the various cavities of the body, such as the intestines, the stomach, and so on. In all probability your doctor has prescribed these tests to be undertaken on you in order to find the underlying cause of your discomfort.

A lack of any clear result from these tests does not mean that you do not have any problem; it only means that it was not clearly visible during these diagnostic procedures.

It is not completely clear what your symptoms are as you have failed to mention them here. The logical solution for you would be to try different techniques for detecting the cause of your problem such as an MRI or a CT scan, depending on the affected part of the body. Another general suggestion would be to improve your diet and drink plenty of clear liquids. Often a simple solution like this will relieve your symptoms to a large extent. It is also advisable for you to visit your doctor for a consultation to properly diagnose your problems. A doctor can also diagnose your problem just by understanding your symptoms. Without any symptoms, however, it is extremely difficult to come to a definite conclusion about the cause of your difficulty.

Submitted by M T on March 5, 2010 at 12:28

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