Dr Kapil Jamwal

If your endoscopy, scans and blood tests are normal, there is nothing wrong.” This is one of the most frustrating messages patients with persistent digestive symptoms can hear. A normal endoscopy is reassuring. A normal CT scan is reassuring. Normal blood tests are reassuring. But “normal structure” does not always mean “normal function.” Many patients with Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction can have significant symptoms despite routine investigations showing no structural disease. Why? Because conventional tests are primarily designed to detect things such as: 🔎 Ulcers, inflammation or tumors 🧪 Biochemical abnormalities 🩻 Structural disease 🦠 Certain infections or inflammatory conditions But symptoms can also arise from abnormalities in how the gastrointestinal system functions. For example: ⚙️ Motility The stomach or intestine may move too slowly, too rapidly or in an uncoordinated manner. 🍽️ Gastric accommodation The upper stomach may not relax adequately after a meal, contributing to early fullness and post-meal discomfort. 🎯 Visceral sensitivity Normal stretching of the stomach or intestine may be perceived as excessive pressure, discomfort or pain. 🧠 Gut–brain processing Signals travelling between the digestive tract and nervous system may be amplified or interpreted differently. ↕️ Abdominal wall and diaphragm coordination In some patients, altered abdomino-phrenic responses can contribute to visible distension. 7 hours ago