Few procedures are simultaneously as common and anxiety-inducing than the colonoscopy. However, a colonoscopy is also an incredibly important procedure with serious health benefits. Below you will learn more about this process.
So what is a colonoscopy?
As you might know, a colonoscopy is an examination of the rectum and colon. It involves the insertion of a camera into the large intestine. In order to get the camera deep into the large intestine, it is attached to a thin, flexible tube that is several feet long. As the camera moves up the intestine, your doctor will watch the live camera feed, looking for ulcers, tumors, bleeding, or anything else that is out of the ordinary.
From this footage, the doctor will determine exactly what is ailing you and whether or not you need surgery. Although colonoscopies are uncomfortable, you run the risk of allowing dangerous conditions to persist if you fail to get one.
Why do you need a colonoscopy?
If you have a specific excretory health condition arise, like blood in your feces, then your doctor might want to examine your intestine for potential problems. Since the colon and rectum are critical parts of your excretory system, they are one of the first places that doctors will look. If your doctor does find ulcers or some other problem in your intestine, then they can take the necessary steps to correct the problem.
If your doctor suspects that you have rectal or colon cancer, then they might want to conduct a colonoscopy to test you. Similarly, if an X-ray or CT scan indicates some abnormalities of your lower intestine, then they might want to take a closer look. It is important to verify whether or not you have cancer as soon as possible. If you put off a colonoscopy that would confirm the presence of cancer in your body, you run the risk of allowing that cancer to metastasize.
How do you prepare for a colonoscopy?
In order to get a colonoscopy, your doctor will first tell you that you need to prepare for 24–48 hours before the procedure. This involves a specific diet of cleansing liquids, and it is recommended that you try not to leave your house during this period. You will need to use the restroom quite a bit, which can be very uncomfortable in public. The purpose of this process is to ensure that there is no feces in your rectum during the procedure. Contaminating materials might make it difficult for your doctor to determine exactly what the problem is when viewing the video.
Share31 July 2015
When was the last time that you took your kids in for an eye exam? Did you realize that your kids' school performance can be impacted by their ability to see clearly? Children are not great at communicating difficulties seeing the board or letting adults know when things begin to appear a little bit blurry. Did you know that there are eye problems that your child could have that can only be diagnosed through an exam at your optometrist's office? Learn all about pediatric eye care and what problems you could run into if you neglect to take your child in for regular eye exams.