A gastric condition is one that involves the stomach and other nearby organs that are part of the digestive process. Diagnosing and screening for a gastric condition can be challenging and time-consuming because many stomach and digestive disorders share a lot of the same symptoms.

After reviewing symptoms and conducting a physical exam and possibly blood tests, the gastrointestinal (GI) health care team may order diagnostic tests that allow for closer examination of the throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), liver, biliary tract, pancreas and gallbladder.

Standard imaging tests for gastric conditions include upper gastrointestinal series (UGI), ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans and X-rays. For an even clearer picture of the gastrointestinal tract, a barium swallow or barium enema may be used in conjunction with an X-ray.

If the health care team needs detailed images and biopsies within parts of the GI tract, they may recommend a sigmoidoscopy or upper GI endoscopy, both of which use a thin tube with a camera to check for polyps, lesions, pre-cancerous and cancerous cells, and other abnormalities.