A colonoscopy is a quick and painless procedure, usually around 30 minutes long, that allows for the full examination of the entire inner lining of a patient’s bowel (colon and rectum).

During the procedure, a gastroenterologist uses an instrument called the colonoscope to perform a colonoscopy.

It is a long, thin, flexible (the scope bends) fiberoptic camera that allows the specialist to visualize the entire colon.

With this thin instrument, the gastroenterologist spends most of the time looking for changes to the normal landscape of your bowel lining and removes anything that looks suspicious.

The Purpose of a Colonoscopy 

Colonoscopy (or colonoscopy of the colon), is the most important colon screening procedure available.

It is done to detect diseases, and to remove polyps that may be indicative of cancer, and the polyps that are no longer active (that is, the polyps that are no longer going to grow into cancer) at that time. 

A colonoscopy may be useful for detecting certain diseases that occur on the outer layer of the colon such as colon cancer, but more often, the colonoscopy is performed to remove non-cancerous growths in the colon.

These polyps are caused by various human germs that do not affect your health but can cause symptoms. 

A person does not need to have any symptoms to have the colonoscopy and you may perform the colonoscopy as an outpatient procedure.
  

What To Expect from A Colonoscopy
 

Like many common procedures, a colonoscopy is an easy one to put off or be scared of.
When preparing for a colonoscopy, it’s important to consume plenty of fluids and follow the diet recommendations of your doctor.

A liquid will be prescribed for bowel preparation that is similar to your stomach wash or laxative.

Being sedated while having your colonoscopy can cause you to develop side effects like a dry mouth, sedation, headache, fatigue and vomiting.

If you are sedated, you might have a difficult time telling you doctor about any pain you may be experiencing. The procedure is supposed to take about an hour, depending on the extent of the find, or another 30 minutes if it’s a small find.

The doctor may then need to send the images and your medical history to your doctor and get his or her opinion on the colonoscopy.  

Who Should Get a Colonoscopy? 

As you may already know, people over 50 are strongly advised to have a colonoscopy every 10 years.

Although most people usually get colonoscopies done under general anesthesia, there are some other options for procedures that may improve your colonoscopy experience.

For example, if you are not comfortable with having general anesthesia or having to lay completely still for a long time, some people prefer the Capsule Endoscopy.

However, most people aren’t aware that even younger adults may have some abnormalities in their colon, because many other conditions can cause changes in the colon lining, such as:

Ulcerative colitis
 Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation on the inner wall or lining of the colon and rectum.

Crohn’s disease
 Crohn’s Disease or Crohn syndrome, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease marked by patchy areas in various sections of your gastrointestinal tract that cause ulcerations and pain.

Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere along this pathway, but it most commonly manifests itself as inflammation of the small intestines (ileum) and can lead to impaired digestion, unintended weight loss and serious complications like blockage of the intestinal tract (strictures) or fistulas.

Recurring rectal bleeding
 Rectal bleeding has many causes and can occur as the result of a weaker or abnormal area along your digestive tract. Haemorrhoids are the most common cause of rectal bleeding.

While these and other causes of rectal bleeding may be minor inconveniences, rectal bleeding can be a real concern if you’re losing a lot of blood.