How is Crohns disease diagnosed?
A detailed personal history, a physical exam, and tests are needed to diagnose Crohns disease. During your visit the doctor will ask about your symptoms and health. The doctor may run blood tests. You may also be asked for a stool sample. Blood tests can uncover anemia. Anemia can mean you have bleeding in your intestines. Blood tests can also show a high white blood cell count, a sign of inflammation in the body. A stool sample can be used to check if you have bleeding and rule out an infection. Drawing of a female health professional drawing blood from a mans arm. A close-up image is included. X rays may be needed. The doctor may also do an upper GI series and small bowel follow-through to look at your small intestine. For this test, you will drink barium, a chalky liquid. The barium looks white on x-ray film, helping the doctor see ulcers or other problems. The doctor may also do a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy to get a better look inside the intestines.
Genova Labs offers an easy to administer home stool test with markers that tell the difference between IBD (Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis) and IBS (irritable Bowel Disease). If the test shows positive for IBD, further evaluation with a physician is appropriate. A thorough physical exam and a subsequent series of tests may be required to diagnose Crohns Disease. Blood tests are run to check for anemia, which could indicate bleeding in the intestines. Blood tests may also uncover a high white blood cell count which is a sign of inflammation somewhere in the body. The physician may do an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series to look at the small intestine. For this test, the patient drinks barium, a chalky solution that coats the lining of the small intestine before x rays are taken. The barium shows up white on x-ray film, revealing inflammation or other abnormalities in the intestine. The physician may also do a colonoscopy. In this test, the doctor inserts an endoscope–a long, flexible,
