Gastroenterology is the medical diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, pancreas, and other organs in the gastrointestinal system.
Gastroenterologists are doctors who are experts in digestive diseases. They are trained to diagnose and treat disorders that affect any part of the GI tract. Gastroenterologists diagnose by taking a medical history, examining the patient’s symptoms, ordering tests and imaging studies that require endoscopy or surgery.
There are a number of different conditions that a gastrologist would diagnose including acid reflux, GERD, ulcers, celiac disease, H.pylori bacteria, parasites and SIBO. Gastrologists also help people with eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.
A gastrologist can be consulted for anything from weight loss to gallstones to heartburn. Some gastrologists may also perform endoscopies or colonoscopies on patients that they diagnose with GI tract problems or other gastrointestinal ailments.