Author: drgastroenterologist

Bloating is a symptom described as an uncomfortable feeling of fullness, tightness, or “pressure” in the abdomen. Some people mean a visible increase in abdominal size, while others mean a sensation without obvious distension. It is commonly used in gastroenterology clinics, primary care, and emergency settings as a starting point for symptom evaluation. In teaching and documentation, it is often discussed alongside gas, bowel habits, diet, and abdominal pain.

Gastroparesis is delayed emptying of stomach contents into the small intestine. It happens without a physical blockage (obstruction) causing the delay. It is used clinically as a diagnosis to explain chronic nausea, vomiting, early fullness, and poor intake. It is most commonly discussed in gastroenterology, endocrinology, and GI surgery settings.

Dyspepsia is a clinical term for a group of upper abdominal symptoms centered in the epigastrium. It commonly includes bothersome fullness after meals, early satiety, epigastric pain, or epigastric burning. Dyspepsia is used in outpatient clinics, emergency settings, and inpatient consults to frame evaluation of “indigestion.” It describes symptoms, not a single diagnosis.

Indigestion is a common term for discomfort or pain felt in the upper abdomen after eating. In clinical language, it often overlaps with dyspepsia, a symptom-based diagnosis rather than a single disease. People use Indigestion to describe fullness, burning, nausea, belching, or “stomach upset.” Clinicians use the term as a starting point for evaluating upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth. It is a symptom and a protective reflex that can occur in many illnesses. It is commonly discussed in emergency medicine, gastroenterology, surgery, oncology, and primary care. Clinicians use the pattern and associated features of Vomiting to guide diagnosis and testing.

Nausea is the unpleasant sensation of needing to vomit. It is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and it can occur with or without vomiting. In gastroenterology, it is commonly used as a clinical clue to digestive, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, medication-related, or systemic illness. In everyday language, people use it to describe “feeling sick to the stomach.”

Hematochezia means the passage of red or maroon blood from the rectum. It is commonly described as “bright red blood per rectum” in clinical notes. Hematochezia is a symptom term, not a diagnosis. It is used most often in gastroenterology, emergency care, and general surgery to frame gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding evaluation.

Melena is black, tarry, foul-smelling stool caused by digested blood in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is most commonly discussed as a sign of GI bleeding, especially from the upper GI tract. Clinicians use the term Melena in emergency care, inpatient medicine, and gastroenterology consults. It is a symptom and a clinical description, not a diagnosis by itself.

Hematemesis means vomiting blood. In plain terms, it describes blood coming up from the upper digestive tract during vomiting or retching. The term is commonly used in emergency medicine, gastroenterology, hepatology, and GI surgery documentation. It is a symptom description, not a final diagnosis.

Upper GI Bleed means bleeding that originates in the upper gastrointestinal tract. It usually refers to bleeding from the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Clinicians use the term to describe a common emergency that can range from mild to life-threatening. It is often discussed in emergency, inpatient, endoscopy, and surgical settings.