Only people currently living in Korea with their own Korean 010 mobile number can apply. Overseas residents are not eligible.
Indigestion Examinations: Who needs H. pylori or gastroscopy?
Indigestion testing begins by reviewing the onset and relationship to meals of epigastric pain or burning, early satiety, and postprandial fullness, as well as H. pylori history and all current medications, followed by a physical examination for abdominal tenderness, bloating, masses, and jaundice. H. pylori is confirmed via urea breath test, stool test, or biopsy if necessary. Gastroscopy is considered if there is dysphagia, bleeding, frequent vomiting, weight loss, or individual risk factors; imaging is selected only when other causes such as biliary tract or pancreatic issues are suspected. If there are no warning signs and no other causes are identified, a clinical diagnosis of functional dyspepsia can be made; gastric emptying tests or 24-hour pH monitoring are not performed for everyone.
Guide to Indigestion Testing
Key points
1Medical history, relationship to meals, a full medication list, and a physical exam are the starting points for selecting tests.
2H. pylori is confirmed via breath, stool, or tissue tests, and gastroscopy is selected based on warning signs and individual risk.
3Even after normal test results, symptoms are not dismissed, and the process proceeds to a clinical diagnosis and treatment for functional dyspepsia.
Test Selection Flow
Choose based on red flags, H. pylori, and structural cause questions
Instead of undergoing many tests, select the tests that answer your current clinical questions.
Current Clues
Questions to Verify
Next Step
Recurring epigastric discomfort or early satiety
Relationship to meals, all medications, family history
Medical history, physical examination
H. pylori confirmation required
Current infection or treatment success status
Breath, stool, or tissue test
Difficulty swallowing, bleeding, frequent vomiting, weight loss
Upper gastrointestinal causes such as ulcers
Consider gastroenterology evaluation and gastroscopy
Context of jaundice or biliary pain
Other causes such as biliary tract or pancreas
Blood or imaging tests based on symptoms
Typical symptoms, no warning signs
Functional pattern without other causes
Clinical diagnosis and stepwise treatment
What the clinic checks first
If my gastroscopy is normal, does that mean I don't have indigestion?
No. Even without structural causes, functional dyspepsia can lead to epigastric discomfort and early satiety. Normal results are used as information to determine the next course of treatment, not to dismiss your symptoms.
More detail
First, organize symptoms, diet, and medications
Review meal portions and post-meal timing
Record the amount of food consumed until early satiety occurs, the recovery time for postprandial fullness, and whether epigastric pain or burning occurs before or after meals.
Review the complete medication list
Provide the start and change dates for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, digestive aids, supplements, and Korean herbal medicine; do not arbitrarily stop necessary medications.
Examine the abdomen and check for jaundice
If there is tenderness, bloating, masses, or yellowing of the eyes and skin, the scope of testing will be expanded.
Tailor H. pylori and gastroscopy to risk levels
Confirm H. pylori using the appropriate method
Choose the most suitable method among breath, stool, or biopsy based on the situation, and follow the provided instructions for test preparation.
Gastroscopy is not an automatic first step
The necessity of the procedure is determined by considering dysphagia, bleeding, vomiting, weight loss, individual risk, and previous results.
Imaging addresses other potential causes
Imaging is selected only when other causes, such as biliary tract or pancreatic issues, are suspected, based on specific clinical questions.
Explaining the functional pathway after normal results
Normal results do not mean there are no symptoms
If no explainable cause is found, a positive clinical diagnosis of functional dyspepsia is made, and subsequent treatment is explained.
Specialized tests are not repeated uniformly
Gastric emptying tests or 24-hour pH monitoring are not automatically added to typical symptoms; instead, the provider checks for new differential diagnostic questions.
Korean herbal medicine does not replace diagnostic testing
Consultations at Baekrokdam support the management of chronic recurring discomfort without delaying the evaluation of warning signs or H. pylori testing and treatment.
Indigestion testing and consultation at Baekrokdam
We distinguish warning signs and treatable causes before addressing recurring mealtime discomfort
Acute vomiting of blood, black stools, feeling of fainting, new chest pain, shortness of breath, severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, or jaundice require emergency or gastroenterology evaluation before Korean herbal medicine treatment at Baekrokdam. For chronic or recurring indigestion, causes are distinguished using H. pylori tests, gastroscopy based on risk, and selected imaging. After necessary tests, we provide consultation on the limited supportive scope of Korean herbal medicine for remaining symptoms such as early satiety, postprandial fullness, or epigastric discomfort.
01 · Acute Safety
First, we screen for bleeding, cardiac, and biliary risks
We check for vomiting of blood, black stools, feeling of fainting, chest pain, shortness of breath, jaundice, and persistent vomiting to identify situations requiring immediate medical evaluation.
02 · Distinguishing Causes
Tailoring H. pylori and risk-based tests
We connect you to only the necessary evaluations by comparing your overall medication and meal context with H. pylori and previous gastroscopy results.
03 · Korean Herbal Medicine Treatment
Supportive care for chronic discomfort remaining after testing
We track meal portions, post-meal recovery time, and epigastric discomfort, as well as the impact on dining out, commuting, and sleep, using consistent criteria.
Please prepare information on your meal portions, post-meal recovery time, timing of epigastric pain, weight, vomiting, stool color, all medications, supplements, Korean herbal medicine, and your H. pylori and gastroscopy results.
When to seek urgent care
Signs that require immediate evaluation over scheduled tests
Risks of bleeding, cardiac issues, biliary tract problems, or obstruction are screened first.
Vomiting blood, coffee-ground emesis, black stools, dizziness, or feeling of fainting
New compressive chest pain with shortness of breath, cold sweats, or pain radiating to the jaw or arms
Persistent vomiting, difficulty swallowing, jaundice, or unintentional weight loss
Severe abdominal pain that starts suddenly and persists, or a hard, distended abdomen
Frequently asked questions
Which tests should I receive first for indigestion?
The process begins with an evaluation of symptoms, diet, and full medication history, followed by a physical examination. Based on this, H. pylori testing, gastroscopy (based on risk factors), and selective imaging are determined.
Are both H. pylori testing and gastroscopy necessary?
Not always. Depending on red flags, individual risk, and previous results, the need for non-invasive tests versus an endoscopy is determined.
Why do I still feel uncomfortable if my test results are normal?
If there is no identifiable structural cause, it may be functional dyspepsia. Treatment then proceeds based on the specific symptom type and functional impairment.
Can I postpone tests while taking Korean herbal medicine?
If you have bleeding, weight loss, difficulty swallowing, or persistent vomiting, testing must come first. Korean herbal medicine treatment does not replace the necessary medical evaluations.
Sources
NIDDK — Diagnosis of IndigestionMedical history, physical examination, H. pylori breath/stool/biopsy tests, and risk-based gastroscopy or selective imaging
NICE — GORD and Dyspepsia RecommendationsDifferential diagnosis for acute bleeding, cardiac, or biliary issues; review of causative medications; H. pylori test preparation and utilization of previous endoscopies
BSG — Functional Dyspepsia GuidelinePositive clinical diagnosis of functional dyspepsia and non-routine implementation of gastric emptying and pH tests
