1 What does an expert in this field do?

Gastroenterologist - what does this specialist treat, what does he do and in what cases are they treated? Unlike the therapist, who is a generalist, the specialization of the gastroenterologist is very narrow, he is engaged in the detection and treatment of diseases of the digestive system, develops methods that are aimed at the prevention of these pathological phenomena.

But since the patient does not always understand what kind of doctor he needs, he refers to a therapist or pediatrician who, after a primary examination, sends him to the right specialist. Today, gastroenterologists are very popular. And this is not an accident, because among all patients who go for help to medical institutions, 1/3 complains about the problems associated with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Often, problems are associated with dysfunction of the digestive tube, the functioning of the glands in the digestive tract is impaired.

When should I contact these specialists? You can list a large number of diseases, with the emergence and development of which there is a need to contact the gastroenterologist. Some of these diseases will be listed below. But acquaintance with the exhaustive list is the lot of specialists. For people who are not related to the medical field, remember the following recommendation. These doctors should be consulted if there is discomfort or pain in the abdominal cavity.

Even the presence of discomfort is a reason for resorting to a gastroenterologist. This is due to the fact that the disease has different stages - from the initial to the most complex, which require surgical intervention. To resist pathology is better at the very beginning of its development. But it is at this stage of painful symptoms may not be. The patient will not even experience discomfort, and his appearance means that the pathology begins to progress, and you need to see a doctor for help.

2 The reason for the demand of the gastroenterologist

Gastroenterologists are becoming more and more in demand. The increase in the number of diseases that are part of their professional sphere is not accidental, and it is associated with a deterioration in the quality of products used. Became popular fast food and convenience foods, the number of fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet of the population has dramatically decreased. The situation is aggravated by poor ecology and growing cities. For office workers, one of the reasons that provoke GI disease is eating dry.

It is enough to conduct a simple test. Look at the menu for the week and determine what percentage of fresh vegetables and fruits it contains. They should be at least 60%, better if they make up 2/3 of all products used. If their percentage is lower, then this approach to nutrition stimulates the appearance and development of digestive tract diseases. And in this case, with high probability, it can be assumed that in the near future a gastroenterologist will be needed.

3 Narrow specialization of

But doctors of this specialty are not necessarily universal specialists, and some of them have a narrower specialization. For example, there is a children's doctor-gastroenterologist, who treats small( and not very small) patients who have not reached adulthood. Children have their own specificity associated with growth, age and hormonal changes. Such patients often suffer from such pathologies:

• dysfunction of the gallbladder;
• gastritis;
• ulcerative defects that appear on the walls of the stomach and duodenum;
• congenital anomalies.

If an adult, when coming to the doctor, shows a medical record on which you can see the history of a disease, then the pathology of the child is only to be found out. The adult has a sufficient speech reserve, which allows to accurately describe the sensations, as a result, the doctor will prescribe the necessary tests and make a diagnosis with high accuracy.

It is very difficult to ask a baby who is 2-3 years old and who can not decide, hurts in his stomach, or just twists. The child can not even accurately show exactly where it hurts, does not always agree to an inspection, and is capricious. And in these conditions, you need the experience of a doctor, who for 1 day has to inspect dozens of these children. But he knows that, in addition to gastritis and ulcerative defects, the child can have the following congenital anomalies:

• atresia of the esophagus;
• congenital polyposis of the large intestine;
• megacolon;
• atresia of the anus, etc.

In addition to the pediatrician, there is also a gastroenterologist surgeon. The name itself indicates that this specialist comes into effect in cases where surgical intervention is required. If one doctor has established an umbilical hernia, then it is not necessary that he remove it. This procedure will not be a simple surgeon, but who specializes in the surgery of the digestive system. Such an expert should be able to:

• to remove the gallbladder;
• to stop bleeding in the digestive tract;
• to carry out a resection of the walls of the digestive tube, etc.

4 Other directions in the treatment of

The digestive system consists of internal organs, each of which can suffer from various pathologies. Therefore, doctors can specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of not all organs of the system, but only on some part of it. As a result, there are distinguished specialists such as:

• hepatologist;
• proctologist;
• coloproctology.

What does the hepatologist treat? He is engaged in the fact that he diagnoses and conducts treatment of liver and gallbladder diseases. To his sphere of activity are also pathological processes that occur with bile-excreting pathways.

The scope of the proctologist includes treatment of pathologies that are associated with the rectum. These diseases include:

• prolapse of the rectum;
• hemorrhoids;
• cancers;
• cyst;
• anal fissure;
• paraproctitis, etc.

Earlier, the coloproctologist was engaged in this, the scope of which included not only what the proctologist treats, but also the diseases of the large intestine. The narrower the list of diseases diagnosed and treated by a doctor, the more professional it becomes, and the more effectively it detects and helps to get rid of very complex and poorly diagnosed diseases.

The problem is that the same symptoms can cause not one, but several pathologies. Medical error can complicate the process of treatment, cause the development of the disease and its transition to the chronic stage, and in some cases, for example, with cancer, the lost time causes the death of the patient.

The gastroenterologist as a specialist needs to constantly improve his own professional skills. To prevent possible errors that medical professionals allow, gastroenterology as a science sets the goal of carrying out some studies that are of value for both the science itself and for practitioners. Among them, the following studies are noted:

• disorders of internal organs and systems that do not belong to the digestive tract, but are manifested in cases of violations;
• advanced diagnostic methods;
• as dysfunction passes in diseases of mechanisms that are responsible for regulating the activity of the digestive system;
• modern methods of prevention and treatment;
• diseases of different parts of the digestive tract - from the perianal region to the esophagus, etc.

5 How is the reception?

Reception at the doctor-gastroenterologist differs little from reception of other experts of medicine. He is obliged:

• to interview the patient;
• conduct an examination:
• get acquainted with the history of the disease;
• assign the necessary tests.

Based on the findings, which give a survey, examination, study of the medical history, and the results of the analysis is diagnosed. The algorithm is standard, but in certain cases it can change. For example, when the diagnosis is made as a result of examination and questioning, studying the medical history. If the prescribed treatment did not help, the symptoms do not stop, increased or there are new symptoms, then they are prescribed a full examination, which can take place in a stationary setting. In such cases, hospitalization is required.

This is due to the fact that not always patients strictly follow all the prescriptions of the attending physician, do not exclude from their diets forbidden food, dishonestly accept medication. The doctor also takes into account such a probability, therefore, in the case of a disease progression, he tries to take the patient under the control of junior medical personnel.

But it is absolutely not necessary that with complaints about unpleasant or painful sensations it is necessary to go to the gastroenterologist. If the problem is not serious, then a local doctor or a children's doctor can diagnose it. And only if the prescribed treatment did not help, the patient will be sent to the right specialist.

Please note that depending on the diagnosis made, the gastroenterologist may himself redirect the patient to another specialist who has a narrow specialization suitable for such a case. It can be:

• hepatologist;
• Surgeon;
• oncologist;
• coloproctology.

If you do not know where to go, make an appointment with an ordinary therapist, and if necessary, he will be redirected to the necessary office of the medical institution.

But in some cases the patient is subject to hospitalization without fail.

This is necessary in order to immediately take under the control of physicians diseases that are especially dangerous to human life and health, including those that can be transmitted to other people, namely:

• hepatitis, which has become chronic and has a viral nature;
• gastroesophageal reflux disease characterized by a complex course;
• cirrhosis;
• Crohn's disease;
• ulcerative colitis.

Persons who are admitted to the hospital may be hospitalized and who during the year required surgical intervention associated with such diseases:

• pacreatitis in acute and chronic form;
• ulcerative colitis;
• ulcerative defects, etc.

The doctor not only prescribes and monitors the treatment, adjusts if necessary, but also can select and give directions for sanatorium treatment, as well as establish temporary incapacity for work of persons. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract lead to the fact that the patient can not continue working.

In some cases, the doctor may come to the conclusion that his patient can not continue working in the same place and requires other working conditions. In this case, he issues an opinion, recommendations in which are mandatory for the employer, and he is compelled to seek another position for such an employee, which would correspond to the medical conclusion.

Employers do not always go for such steps, they put an ultimatum before the employees - either to continue working in their previous position or to resign. Faced with such an attitude of the employer, such persons again turn to the doctor for help. But the relationship between the employee and the employer does not cover the scope of the gastroenterologist. It ends when a medical report is issued, or a certificate. Further, the labor legislation comes into force, and if it is violated by the employer, in such cases the assistance of a lawyer, but not a doctor, is required.