Bloating, acidity, unpredictable bowels, that dull ache you've stopped mentioning. Take the free 60-second gut check — it tells you what's likely going on, what to change tonight, and whether you actually need tests. No signup, no payment.
Gastroenterologist · 8 years · HopeQure Medical Advisory Board
This page has been medically reviewed by Dr. Abhijit Bhavsar, a qualified gastroenterologist and member of the HopeQure Medical Advisory Board. The information here is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional medical diagnosis, treatment, or emergency care.
Can I consult a gastroenterologist online? Yes. Choose an MBBS/MD-qualified specialist, share your endoscopy, ultrasound or blood reports privately, and receive a digitally signed prescription — typically within 10 minutes.
Managed online: acidity and GERD, IBS, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, ulcers, H. pylori, fatty liver and report interpretation. Endoscopy and colonoscopy require an in-person visit.
Starts at ₹899 →Built on Rome IV criteria and NICE alarm-feature guidance. It will tell you honestly if you don't need a specialist.
Pick the symptom that bothers you most day to day.
Duration changes what a specialist looks for.
Tap all that apply, or skip if none. This is the safety check that matters most.
Instantly matched to the specialist trained for exactly what you're going through.
Still not sure?
Yes, you can consult a gastroenterologist online in India. It is legal under the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines 2020. An MBBS/MD gastroenterologist can assess digestive symptoms, interpret your endoscopy, ultrasound and liver function reports, prescribe medication, and build a gut-specific diet plan. Consultations at HopeQure start at ₹899, in 13 Indian languages. Procedures such as endoscopy and colonoscopy require an in-person visit — and a good specialist tells you whether you actually need one before you spend on it.
Educational content. Not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or emergency care.
Including the question most people are too embarrassed or too frightened to type. No hedging.
Almost certainly not — and this is the fear underneath most gastroenterology searches, so it deserves a direct answer. The overwhelming majority of persistent digestive symptoms are functional or inflammatory, not malignant: reflux, IBS, gastritis, H. pylori, gallstones. Cancer is genuinely uncommon, particularly under 45 with no alarm features.
⚠️ What does need prompt assessment: unexplained weight loss, difficulty swallowing, vomiting blood, black stools, blood in stool, or new persistent symptoms starting after 45. Those aren't a diagnosis — they're a reason not to wait.
Often, no. Most acidity, IBS and bloating is diagnosed clinically and treated without any scope. Endoscopy is indicated when alarm features are present, when treatment fails, or when symptoms begin after 45 — not as a routine first step for heartburn.
This matters financially: an endoscopy costs several thousand rupees. A ₹899 consultation that concludes you don't need one has saved you money, and we'd rather tell you that than sell you a referral.
Long-term daily acid suppression isn't harmless. Extended PPI use is associated with reduced absorption of vitamin B12, magnesium, calcium and iron, and it can mask a condition that should have been diagnosed properly years ago.
More importantly, needing antacids daily for years means the underlying cause was never addressed — often H. pylori, a hiatus hernia, or trigger foods that were never identified. That's a fixable situation.
It's real, and it's a recognised diagnosis with formal criteria (Rome IV). IBS is a disorder of gut-brain interaction — the nerves and muscles of the gut become hypersensitive and the signalling between gut and brain is dysregulated. The pain you feel is genuine, not imagined.
Being told "your tests are normal, it's just stress" is one of the most common and most damaging experiences patients report. Normal tests rule out other disease; they don't mean nothing is wrong.
Yes, through direct physiology. The gut and brain communicate via the vagus nerve and share neurotransmitters — about 90% of the body's serotonin sits in the gut. Anxiety produces genuine cramping, urgency and nausea. That's a physical mechanism, not a psychological excuse.
This is why treating only the gut while ignoring stress causes so many relapses — and why our combined gut-brain program pairs a gastroenterologist with a psychologist.
Take it seriously, but don't panic. Fatty liver affects roughly one in three Indian adults and is often picked up incidentally on an ultrasound. In its early stage it's largely reversible through weight reduction and dietary change — no medication required.
What it does signal is metabolic risk: it travels with insulin resistance, high triglycerides and cardiovascular risk. It's a warning worth acting on now, when reversal is still straightforward.
Want this applied to your own symptoms?
🩺 Run the free gut check →Gut conditions are diagnosed from patterns, not snapshots. Most people describe symptoms vaguely and get vague answers back. Fill this in, print it, and hand it to any doctor — ours or your own.
1 · When do symptoms hit hardest?
2 · What makes it worse?
3 · What helps?
4 · Your Bristol stool type
5 · How long has this been going on?
6 · Impact on daily life (0–10)
Answer the questions to build your summary — it appears here, ready to copy or print.
Planning journeys around toilets. Declining dinners because you don't know how your stomach will behave. Keeping antacids in every bag. Telling people you're "fine" because explaining feels humiliating. Most people wait two to three years before seeing a specialist about digestive symptoms — not because they aren't suffering, but because it feels too embarrassing, or too trivial to bother a doctor with.
No receptionist, no queue, no one overhearing why you're there. You talk from home, and the conversation stays between you and your specialist.
Our specialists ask about stool, gas and bowel habits in clinical detail because that's what diagnosis needs. Nothing you describe will surprise or embarrass them.
If tests were normal but you're still suffering, that isn't the end of the investigation. Functional conditions are real diagnoses with real treatments.
Tap your answer, then see what the evidence says. No judgement — most of this advice is passed around as common sense.
The triage framework gastroenterologists use, based on NICE alarm-feature guidance. Useful whether or not you ever book with us.
Do: smaller meals, no food 3 hours before bed, raise the head of the bed, cut late caffeine and alcohol, walk after eating. Give it two weeks.
Do: get assessed properly. Online works well here — history matters more than examination in most GI conditions.
Check symptoms nowDo: go to the nearest emergency department now. These can indicate bleeding, obstruction or perforation.
📞 Call 108 nowTap the symptom closest to yours. You'll see the likely causes, what a specialist would actually do, and whether it needs urgent attention.
👆 Tap a symptom above to decode it — or run the full 60-second check instead.
Educational only, not a diagnosis. Consult a verified gastroenterologist →
Some digestive problems are perfectly well handled by a GP. Others need a specialist from day one. Here's how our medical board triages.
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Tap any condition for what causes it, what actually helps, and when it needs investigating.
Burning behind the breastbone, sour regurgitation, worse lying down or after late meals.
Usually caused by: a weak lower oesophageal sphincter, late eating, excess weight, or a hiatus hernia.
What actually helps: timing meals earlier, raising the bed head, weight reduction, and a proper acid-suppression course — not indefinite daily antacids.
Gnawing upper abdominal pain, often relieved briefly by food, sometimes waking you at night.
Usually caused by: H. pylori infection or regular NSAID painkillers — not spicy food or stress alone.
What actually helps: testing for the bacterium, then a defined eradication course. This is genuinely curable, which surprises most people.
Feeling full after a few bites, upper abdominal discomfort, nausea — with a normal endoscopy.
Usually caused by: impaired stomach accommodation and heightened visceral sensitivity.
What actually helps: smaller frequent meals, prokinetic medication where appropriate, and addressing the gut-brain component.
Cramping that eases after passing stool, alternating constipation and looseness, daily distension.
Usually caused by: gut-brain dysregulation with visceral hypersensitivity — a real, diagnosable disorder.
What actually helps: a structured low-FODMAP elimination and reintroduction, gut-directed therapy, and targeted antispasmodics.
Fewer than three movements weekly, straining, hard stool, or a sense of incomplete evacuation.
Usually caused by: low fibre and fluid, inactivity, medication side effects, or pelvic floor dysfunction.
What actually helps: graded fibre with adequate fluid, toilet timing after meals, and correcting technique — laxative dependence is avoidable.
Loose stools most days, urgency, sometimes waking you at night.
Usually caused by: IBS-D, lactose intolerance, bile acid malabsorption, coeliac disease, or infection.
What actually helps: identifying which of those it is — they need entirely different treatments, and guessing wastes months.
Usually no symptoms — found on an ultrasound done for another reason, or raised liver enzymes.
Usually caused by: insulin resistance, refined carbohydrates, excess weight, inactivity. Not alcohol.
What actually helps: 7–10% weight reduction reverses early fatty liver in most people. Genuinely reversible if acted on.
Raised SGPT/SGOT, bilirubin or GGT on a routine or insurance health check.
Usually caused by: fatty liver, medication, alcohol, viral hepatitis — or sometimes a lab variation of no significance.
What actually helps: proper interpretation in context. Many people are frightened by numbers that need only monitoring.
Right upper abdominal pain after fatty meals, sometimes spreading to the shoulder blade.
Usually caused by: cholesterol supersaturation of bile; more common with rapid weight loss and in women.
What actually helps: deciding whether stones need surgery or watchful waiting — many silent stones need nothing at all.
Bloating, diarrhoea, fatigue, anaemia or weight loss connected to wheat.
Important: get tested before removing gluten — going gluten-free first makes coeliac testing unreliable for months.
What actually helps: proper serology and confirmation, then a genuinely gluten-free plan if positive.
Blood in stool, persistent diarrhoea, weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain.
This is different from IBS: IBD is genuine inflammation causing visible damage, and it needs specialist management.
What actually helps: confirming the diagnosis, then long-term maintenance of remission with monitoring.
Bloating, cramps or diarrhoea 30 minutes to 2 hours after specific foods.
Usually caused by: reduced lactase enzyme — extremely common in Indian adults — or FODMAP sensitivity.
What actually helps: structured elimination and reintroduction to find your real triggers, rather than cutting out foods indefinitely.
A fair number of digestive complaints improve with changes that cost nothing. If these work, you've saved a consultation — and we'd rather tell you that up front.
Stop eating three hours before lying down. For reflux this single change resolves symptoms in a substantial number of people, and it costs nothing to test for two weeks.
Works for: acidity, night-time reflux, morning hoarseness
A short walk after meals speeds stomach emptying and reduces bloating and reflux. More effective than sitting still, and considerably more effective than lying down.
Works for: bloating, fullness, reflux, sluggish digestion
Increasing fibre without increasing water reliably makes constipation worse — a very common mistake. Raise both together, and raise fibre gradually over two weeks rather than overnight.
Works for: constipation, hard stool, straining
The gut's strongest natural urge comes 20–30 minutes after a meal. Sitting then — unhurried, without a phone — retrains a reflex most adults have suppressed for years.
Works for: constipation, incomplete evacuation
Remove a single suspected trigger for two weeks, then reintroduce it deliberately. Cutting dairy, wheat and onion simultaneously tells you nothing except that you're now eating very little.
Works for: bloating, IBS, suspected intolerance
Regular ibuprofen, diclofenac or aspirin is a leading cause of gastritis and ulcers. If you take them often for another condition, that's worth raising — there are usually alternatives.
Works for: gastric pain, gnawing discomfort, ulcers
Give these a fair two weeks. If your symptoms are unchanged after that — or if any alarm feature appears — that's the point at which guessing stops being useful and a specialist becomes worth the money.
Use these whether or not you ever book. The trigger finder in particular does the work most people skip — and it's the reason elimination diets usually fail.
The clinical scale gastroenterologists actually use. Knowing your type tells a specialist more than a paragraph of description.
Types 3–4 are ideal. 1–2 suggest constipation; 6–7 suggest diarrhoea.
Tick what you eat regularly. High-FODMAP foods are the commonest hidden driver of bloating and IBS symptoms.
An indicative metabolic risk estimate. Fatty liver is largely reversible when caught early — this flags whether to check.
Indicative only — diagnosis needs an ultrasound and liver function tests.
We'll tell you honestly — including when the ₹899 single consultation is all you need.
1 · What's the main issue?
2 · How long has it been going on?
Every consultation follows a structured pathway based on Rome IV, NICE, ISG and ICMR guidance — so your care doesn't depend on which specialist you happen to get.
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Indicative figures — confirm before publishing.
The combined plans exist because gut conditions genuinely need diet work alongside medication — not to inflate the bill. Prices indicative — confirm
If the specialist decides in the first five minutes that you need an endoscopy or in-person examination, we refund the consultation in full and give you a written referral summary.
Message us with what's happening and we'll tell you honestly — including if a single ₹899 consultation is enough.
Ask on WhatsApp →First-time patients get 20% off any plan. Applied automatically when you book through the symptom checker.
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Every profile shows real qualifications, years of practice and languages spoken. No stock photos, no anonymity — you know exactly who you're talking to before you pay.
Verified patient reviews from across India. Verify all testimonials, names and ratings before publishing — ASCI healthcare-advertising rules apply
"Three years of bloating and I'd convinced myself it was cancer. Dr Bhavsar spent twenty minutes on history alone, explained why it was IBS, and the dietitian found dairy and wheat were my triggers. First time anyone actually finished the investigation."
"Antacids every single day for two years. Turned out to be H. pylori — a two-week course and it was gone. Nobody had ever tested me for it. I'd genuinely accepted this was just how my stomach was."
"My insurance health check flagged fatty liver and I panicked. The specialist reviewed my reports on video, explained it was early and reversible, and set a weight target. Ultrasound was clear at six months."
"I'd been told my endoscopy was normal and to live with it. Here they explained functional dyspepsia properly — that normal tests don't mean nothing is wrong. Finally had a name for it and a plan."
"Honestly I was too embarrassed to sit in a clinic and discuss my bowels. Doing it from home made all the difference. The doctor was completely matter-of-fact about it and I stopped feeling ridiculous."
"Told me I did not need the endoscopy the previous doctor had recommended, and explained exactly why. Saved me several thousand rupees. A doctor talking me out of a procedure earned my trust immediately."
Aggregated from HopeQure gastroenterology consultations during FY 2025–26, reviewed quarterly by our medical board. Confirm all figures before publishing
Understand the words in your prescription and reports without needing to search each one.
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease — stomach acid flowing back into the food pipe, causing heartburn and regurgitation.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome — a real, diagnosable gut-brain disorder causing cramping, bloating and altered bowel habit without visible damage.
A stomach bacterium causing most peptic ulcers. Detectable by breath, stool or biopsy and usually curable in two weeks.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease — fat accumulation in the liver driven by metabolic factors, not alcohol. Largely reversible early.
Fermentable carbohydrates in wheat, onion, garlic, dairy and some fruits that commonly trigger IBS symptoms.
A seven-type clinical scale for stool consistency. Types 3–4 are ideal; 1–2 indicate constipation, 6–7 diarrhoea.
A camera passed through the mouth to view the food pipe, stomach and upper intestine. Usually a day procedure.
A camera examination of the large intestine, used for bleeding, persistent bowel change, IBD and cancer screening.
Proton Pump Inhibitor — acid-suppressing medication such as pantoprazole or omeprazole. Effective, but not intended for indefinite daily use.
Liver Function Test — a blood panel including SGPT, SGOT, bilirubin and GGT that reflects liver health.
An immune reaction to gluten damaging the small intestine. Must be tested for before removing gluten from the diet.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease — Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Genuine inflammation causing visible damage, unlike IBS.
Most people have never had a video consultation for a gut problem. Here's the whole thing, with honest timings.
Free gut check, or straight to booking. Choose plan, language and slot — same-day is usually available.
⏱ About 60 secondsEndoscopy, ultrasound, liver function tests, previous prescriptions. Optional — but it turns a general discussion into a specific one.
⏱ 2 minutes, or skipVideo, audio or chat. They take a detailed history — which matters more than examination in most GI conditions — and explain what's happening in plain language.
⏱ 15–20 minutesDigital prescription, a gut-specific eating plan, and clear guidance on which tests you do and don't need. Follow-up message included.
⏱ Within minutesIf you need an endoscopy or in-person examination, we tell you in the first five minutes — and you're not charged for a consultation that should have been a procedure. We'd rather send you to the right place than bill you for the wrong one.
Gut problems rarely resolve in one visit. Move the slider to see the true cost including travel, waiting and time off work.
Clinic estimate assumes ₹1,500 specialist fee + ₹400 travel + ₹700 average value of half a day off work per visit. Adjust assumptions before publishing.
Online isn't right for everything, and we'd rather say so than lose your trust later.
| Situation | Online (HopeQure) | In-person clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Acidity, GERD, heartburn | ✓ Ideal — history-driven diagnosis | Works, but slower and costlier |
| IBS, bloating, food triggers | ✓ Ideal — dietitian included | Usually needs a separate referral |
| Interpreting endoscopy or LFT reports | ✓ Ideal — upload and discuss | Fine, but you'll wait weeks |
| Fatty liver management | ✓ Ideal — diet and tracking led | Needed for imaging only |
| Chronic constipation or diarrhoea | ✓ Good — history and diet focused | Better if examination needed |
| Abdominal examination required | Partial — we assess and refer | ✓ Better — hands-on needed |
| Endoscopy or colonoscopy | ✗ We advise whether you need it | ✓ Procedure done in person |
| Bleeding, severe pain, jaundice | ✗ Call 108 immediately | ✓ Emergency department |
| Typical wait | Under 10 minutes | Days to weeks for a specialist |
| Cost | From ₹899, no travel | ₹1,000–₹2,500 plus travel and leave |
Everything that usually hides in a terms page. If any of this feels unfair, tell us before you pay.
Change your slot up to 2 hours before at no cost, as many times as you need.
Cancel more than 2 hours ahead for a full refund, processed within 5–7 working days. Within 2 hours, a free reschedule.
If the specialist decides in the first five minutes that you need an endoscopy or in-person examination, you get a 100% refund plus a written referral summary.
If the call drops or the doctor can't connect, we reconnect you immediately or refund in full.
You receive a GST invoice and signed prescription with the doctor's NMC registration number — the documents most employers and insurers require for OPD reimbursement.
We offer an equally qualified alternative or a full refund — your choice, communicated before the appointment time.
Every consultation includes a free follow-up message within 48 hours. You don't pay again to ask what the prescription meant.
Request deletion of your records any time at contactus@hopequre.com. We comply under the DPDP Act 2023.
Gut conditions are diagnosed largely from history. The more precise your history, the better the answer.
Endoscopy, ultrasound, liver function tests, stool or blood reports — even old ones. Photos are fine.
When it started, what makes it better or worse, and whether it's changed. Dates beat impressions.
Write down what you actually ate — including timings. Meal timing explains a surprising amount of reflux.
All of them, including antacids, painkillers and supplements. Painkillers in particular cause ulcers.
Use the free tool above. One number communicates more than a paragraph of description.
You'll forget them mid-call. Everyone does. Write the three that matter most.
You'll be discussing bowel habits candidly. Somewhere you can speak freely matters.
Any unintentional loss or gain, with rough dates. This is a key alarm feature.
Discussing digestion is awkward enough without translating it first.
Our full library on digestion, the gut-brain axis and eating for gut health.
Low-FODMAP planning, weight management and fatty liver reversal.
Anxiety and stress management — the other half of gut-brain conditions.
Digestive health is a leading cause of workplace absence and presenteeism.
Three questions, sixty seconds, and a straight answer about your gut — including whether you need us at all. If you do, a verified gastroenterologist is usually under ten minutes away. Consultations from ₹899, with a full refund if you turn out to need a procedure instead.
🔒 Private & encrypted · ✅ NMC-verified specialists · 📅 Same-day slots · 💊 Digital prescription · 🌐 13 languages · 🚨 Emergency? Call 108
Our gastroenterology content follows evidence-based frameworks, Indian telemedicine regulation and internationally recognised clinical guidelines.
Government-approved framework governing online consultations, digital prescriptions and remote care delivery.
National digital health initiative supporting secure, interoperable health-record access.
Indian data-protection framework governing patient privacy, consent and secure data handling.
International diagnostic standard for functional gastrointestinal disorders including IBS and functional dyspepsia.
Alarm-feature criteria, referral thresholds and acid-suppression protocols used across our reflux pathway.
Regional consensus guidance on H. pylori management, IBS and functional GI disorders in Indian populations.
Global standards for primary digestive care, nutrition and prevention of gastrointestinal disease.
The originating research body for low-FODMAP diagnosis and structured reintroduction methodology.
Clinical guidance on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease staging, weight-reduction targets and monitoring.
Independent systematic reviews on PPI therapy, H. pylori eradication, probiotics and dietary intervention.
Population data on functional GI disorders, fatty liver prevalence and access barriers to specialist care.
Plain-language resources on reflux, IBS, liver health, endoscopy preparation and dietary management.
Digestive complaints are among the most common causes of workplace absence and presenteeism in India — and among the least likely to be raised with an employer. HopeQure gives staff private access to specialists without a clinic visit or a leave request.
Chronic digestive symptoms affect concentration, sleep and attendance — but staff rarely disclose them. Confidential access removes the embarrassment barrier that keeps people from seeking help until symptoms become severe.
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