Q How do I tell whether I can manage this with Korean medicine or should be tested at a hospital first?
A If any of the following are present, testing comes before Korean medicine care: unintended weight loss, difficulty swallowing, black stools or vomiting blood, anemia, and indigestion that appears for the first time in middle age or later. Korean medicine care is for those without these signals whose tests came back normal.
Detailed Answer
The following signs mean another cause must be checked first.
- Weight is falling although you are not trying to lose it
- Swallowing is difficult, or food feels caught in the throat
- Stools are black, or you have vomited blood
- You feel dizzy and short of breath (possible anemia)
- Indigestion has appeared for the first time in middle age or later
- Vomiting repeats, or pain wakes you at night
In these cases it is safer to have an endoscopy and related tests first.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
We check these items at the clinic as well and refer you for testing when they apply. Treating a stiffened stomach is meaningful only after dangerous causes have been ruled out.
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