There are average times that can be generally referenced as normal, but in truth, digestion varies from person to person. If you think you may be dealing with digestion issues, like delayed digestion or digestion that occurs a little too quickly, a gastrointestinal specialist can help assess your condition. To learn more about how a gastrointestinal doctor can help you determine how long your digestion takes, keep reading below.
How can a specialist measure how long digestion takes for you?
- Bowel transit time test — During a bowel transit time test, a digestive health specialist will give you a capsule to swallow. The capsule will most likely have a radio transmitter inside. The specialist will use the signals emitted from the transmitter to determine how long digestion takes and if the capsule gets caught up in any one particular area that may need special attention.
- Gastric emptying test — Gastric emptying tests are performed by a digestive specialist by timing how long it takes for food to exit the body after it’s consumed. During a gastric emptying scan, you will be asked to swallow a small amount of radioactive material with food. Then, X-ray images will be taken of the radioactive material as it travels through the digestive tract. The radioactive material will show up in the X-ray images while it moves with the food you ingested. How long it takes for the food to exit your body after digestion is also measured by the specialist.
Don’t hesitate to contact Digestive Health Institute with further questions!
Still wondering what other things might be reasons to see a gastrointestinal specialist? If you are not sure why you might need one, you are looking for more information or you have other digestive health questions, please don’t wait to reach out to one of our team members for help. Our team of GI specialists has the training and experience to answer your burning questions. They can also help you find the most effective treatments for your conditions and for other common GI issues.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.