Heartburn Treatment - Diagnosing Heartburn

There is no simple blood test for heartburn.
The tests used to diagnose heartburn include the following:

1. Upper GI (gastrointestinal) endoscopy:
A thin tube is passed down your esophagus.
This tube has a light and a very small camera on the end.
The camera sends pictures of your esophagus to a video monitor.
Your doctor can see how much damage has been done to
your esophagus from stomach acid. This endoscopy can also
shows other causes of heartburn, like infection, or whether you
have any complications of heartburn, such as bleeding.

2. Upper GI series:
A series of x-rays of the upper digestive system are taken
after drinking a barium solution. An upper GI series is a series of
x-rays of the chest and abdomen taken after you swallow the barium
that coats the inside of your esophagus and stomach. This liquid
provides contrast so that the doctor can see any problems easier.

3. Esophageal manometry:
Esophageal manometry is a procedure for determining how well the
muscle of the esophagus works when diseases of the muscle are
suspected. An esophageal manometry test measures the strength of the LES and the contraction movement of the esophagus after a swallow.

4. 24-hour pH monitoring:
A probe is be placed via the nose into the esophagus to record the level of acidity in the lower esophagus. The test is particularly useful when the patient's symptoms can be correlated to episodes of increased esophageal acidity.