A gastroscopy is a test to check inside your throat, food pipe (oesophagus) and stomach, known as the upper part of your digestive system. This is also called an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. It can help diagnose the cause of your symptoms. We’ll explain how you can use the PHIN website to find a private endoscopy consultant for any symptoms that may require an assessment.
What symptoms is a gastroscopy used to investigate?
A gastroscopy, or an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, examines your upper digestive tract using an endoscope (a thin tube with a camera and light on one end). During an upper GI endoscopy, the consultant passes an endoscope through your mouth, throat and stomach.
An upper GI endoscopy can investigate many symptoms, including:
- Abdominal pain
- Chronic diarrhoea and constipation
- Recurrent nausea and vomiting
- Burning sensations in your throat and stomach (heart burn)
- Bringing up food or acid, mainly when lying down
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- Significant changes in your bowel habits
- Bloating
These symptoms can indicate that something might be wrong with your digestive tract. An upper GI endoscopy can help make a diagnosis — especially if your symptoms don’t respond to first-line treatments.
How a gastroscopy works to diagnose different conditions and diseases
An upper GI endoscopy is relatively straightforward and is typically a day case procedure — meaning you can go home on the same day. You’ll need to prepare for your endoscopy beforehand, and you can discover how to do just that in our handy endoscopy preparation guide[1] .
On the day of your procedure, the consultant will apply a numbing spray to your throat to prevent you from gagging when they pass the endoscope through your mouth. They may also use a mild sedative if you’re feeling nervous.
Once the sedative and numbing spray has worked, the consultant will gently feed the endoscope through and down your throat. The camera on the end will then send back images to the screen in the room so that the consultant can see a clear picture of your upper digestive tract.
On average, an upper GI endoscopy takes around 10 minutes to complete. However, this can fluctuate for many reasons, such as other treatments happening at the same time and if the consultant needs to take a biopsy (tissue sample). Your endoscopy can feel mildly uncomfortable, but it should not be painful. Tell your consultant at any point if you struggle to continue with the procedure.
What can a gastroscopy detect and diagnose?
An upper GI endoscopy can diagnose:
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – a common condition where acid leaks from your stomach into your throat and causes symptoms like heartburn.
- Ulcers – sometimes, stomach acid and medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can irritate the tissue in your upper GI tract, causing inflammation and open sores called ulcers.
- Coeliac disease – a chronic condition affecting your small intestine, caused by your body’s immune response to gluten in food.
- Oesophageal strictures – where a narrowed oesophagus prevents you from swallowing properly.
- Pancreatitis – inflammation of your pancreas that can cause swelling and pain.
- Barrett’s oesophagus – a condition caused by acid reflux that changes your oesophageal’s lower lining.
- Helicobacter (pylori) – a bacteria that infects your digestive tract and causes inflammation of your stomach lining.
- Liver disease – severe liver disease (cirrhosis) may be detectable during endoscopy, as it can dilate the veins in your oesophagus (oesophageal varices).
- Stomach and oesophageal cancer – endoscopy can diagnose these types of cancer.
- Crohn's disease - an inflammatory bowel disease
Can a gastroscopy be used to treat symptoms?
Some of the treatments an endoscopy can be used for include:
- Polyp removal
- Controlling bleeding in your upper GI tract
- Opening (dilating) narrowed parts of your upper GI tract
- Laser treatments
- Inserting feeding tubes
- Banding (compressing with rubber bands) oesophageal varices
Sources
- Upper GI Endoscopy. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diagnostic-tests/upper-gi-endoscopy. Last reviewed October 2023.
- Upper Gastro-Intestinal (GI) Endoscopy. NHS, North Tees and Hartlepool. https://www.nth.nhs.uk/resources/upper-gastro-intestinal-gi-endoscopy/. Last reviewed 13 July 2023.
- Endoscopy. NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endoscopy/. Last reviewed 08 February 2022.
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). NHS Inform. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-gastrointestinal-tract/gastro-oesophageal-reflux-disease-gord/. Last reviewed 29 May 2023.
- Upper endoscopy in liver disease. PubMed Central. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6448749/. Published 09 December 2014.
- Gastroscopy. NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gastroscopy/. Last reviewed 07 April 2022.
- Having a gastroscopy. Guts Charity. https://gutscharity.org.uk/advice-and-information/helpful-videos/.
More information
See our guide: Gastroscopy and how to prepare for it
