A colonoscopy is done to examine the colon and rectum for abnormalities like polyps, colon cancer, or any kind of inflammation
Colonoscopy is preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic — and often, it is all of these to save your life from the dreaded cancer. Since anyone can have colorectal or colon cancer at any time without warning or symptoms, screening is the best way to stay ahead of it. While screening, your gastroenterologist may also remove suspicious tissues for testing and prevention.
According to experts, the procedure can be made helpful by taking some pain out of the process. A colonoscopy is done to examine the colon and rectum for abnormalities like polyps, colon cancer, or any kind of inflammation. For that, the colon has to be cleared out, and loads of laxatives are the only way to accomplish that. However, according to Dr. Derek Ebner - a gastroenterology fellow at the Mayo Clinic, there are a few ways to make colonoscopy bowel prep easy and manageable.
When should you start your preparation for colonoscopy?
Dr. Ebner says a week before your scheduled colonoscopy, there are a few small changes you must make in your diet. Often, the day before the colonoscopy when you begin to drink the bowel prep solution – many people struggle. However, you have to make it easy. "There's a couple of tricks. Often, cooling the solution and drinking it through a straw can be helpful. Others like to have a small lime or lemon wedge that they just bite into after doing some of the solution," Ebner told The Health News website.
According to Dr. Ebner, chewing gum between sips of the solution helps reduce the unpleasant taste and dryness that the solution causes in your mouth. And if taking the solution is spread out over two days, as it often is, that can also help. "Half of the volume is done the day before the procedure, the other half is done the day of the procedure. That helps make it a lot more tolerable. And, in fact, we get a better clean out by doing that splitting," he noted.
How to get over nausea and bloating?
Many people, who struggle with adnominal cramps, bloating, or nausea during the bowel preparation process should take care of how fast they are consuming the fluid. "For those that do have nausea, slowing down can be really helpful," Ebner added.
When do you need a colonoscopy?
Experts say you may be due for a colonoscopy for cancer screening if you:
- Are older than 45 years and have not had one
- Have not had one for ten years
- Had tissue removed during your last colonoscopy
- Have a family history of colorectal cancer
- Have an inherited disease that raises your risk like familial adenomatous polyposis
- Have inflammatory bowel disease.
What does colonoscopy do?
Your doctor may prescribe a colonoscopy because you may have symptoms that would need proper investigation. A colonoscopy provides a better view of your large intestine than other types of imaging tests that do not go inside your body.
Your doctor might need this better view to figure out what is causing your symptoms or confirm their suspicions. Sometimes they might need to take a tissue sample or biopsy to examine under a microscope in order to make a diagnosis. They can do that during the colonoscopy.
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