Your GI clinic in California offers a wide range of tests and procedures to accurately pinpoint diseases and conditions of the digestive tract. If you are exhibiting gastrointestinal symptoms and wish to know what’s happening and how to treat it, a breath test from inSite Digestive Health Care might be just what you need.
The Sugar Intolerance Breath Test
Numerous Americans experience a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms, such as burping, flatulence, bloating, and more. Interestingly, the symptoms can originate with the body’s simple intolerance of sugar in the diet.
This sugar can take the form of lactose (from milk products), sucrose (in nuts and fruits) and fructose (in candy, soda pop, and other very sweet treats). The GI specialist can test for sugar intolerance with a breath test done either at home or in the office.
The procedure is simple and painless. The patient eats a low carbohydrate diet for up to a week before doing the test. They then fast for a specified amount of time leading up to the day of the procedure. For the test, the patient exhales into a breath collection container. This is called the baseline collection.
Next, the patient consumes samples of foods or beverages–one at a time. Each contains lactose, sucrose, or fructose. Breath samples are collected in separate containers. These containers are sealed and lab analyzed for hydrogen content. If the individual is intolerant of sugar, the hydrogen level in the food or beverage containers will be significantly higher than the baseline container.
The H. Pylori Breath Test
Our California GI providers use breath test to determine if a bacteria called H. Pylori is responsible for the following symptoms:
- Frequent and intense burning sensations in the stomach and esophagus
- Frequent belching and bloating
- Nausea and vomiting
- Poor appetite
- Noticeable weight loss
H. pylori infection is very common among adults in the United States. Fortunately, it is detectable and treatable based on the results of an in-office breath test.
There is no special preparation for this test. The patient simply exhales into a collection container, and the carbon dioxide level is measured. Then, the individual consumes a flavored drink that contains urea and breathes into a second container. The level of carbon dioxide in the second breath sample indicates H. pylori infection if the amount is higher than in the first collection container.
First-Rate Gastrointestinal Services in California
At inSite Digestive Health Care, our 20 affiliated medical practices deliver accurate assessments, diagnoses, and treatments for a wide range of conditions and disease of the GI tract. We take a personal interest in coaching our patients on excellent lifestyle habits, so their upper and lower gastrointestinal health thrives for the long–term.
So, select a location near you, and call us for a consultation with one of our highly experienced physicians. Or, request an appointment through our website. We look forward to seeing you in one of our offices soon.
