Colonoscopies may sound intimidating but their benefits make them well worth the effort and discomfort. Defined as inserting a long fiber-optic instrument known as a colonoscope into your rectum, this process allows doctors and surgeons to examine your colon and check for any problems. Those over 50 should get one every few years—or more frequently if you have problems with your colon. The below explains some of the advantages for your health involved with this exam.

What Is the Purpose of a Colonoscopy?

1. Examine Symptoms of Diseases 

There may be many reasons why you may experience abdominal discomfort, cramping, anemia, or sudden or rapid weight loss—including problems with the colon. Colonoscopies allow a doctor to determine if that is the source of your health issue and prescribe the proper treatment. If it is not the cause, then other possibilities may be considered and narrowed down until the right diagnosis is reached. 

2. Detect Infections & Abnormalities 

When you imagine all the foods that pass through your colon, along with the many bacteria they tend to carry, it’s understandable that your colon may become infected. Diverticulitis, for example, may inflame the walls of your intestine, causing nausea, vomiting, constipation, bloating, bleeding, and general pain throughout your abdomen.  

You could also develop colitis, or inflammation directly in the colon, characterized by fatigue, diarrhea, cramping, rectal bleeding, and weight loss. Alternatively, the blood vessels in your digestive tract may swell, which causes bleeding lesions throughout the colon. Colonoscopies help the doctor ascertain whether any of these conditions are affecting you. From there, they can decide whether you need colon surgery or a different treatment. 

3. Early Cancer Diagnosis or Prevention 

Despite being one of the most aggressive cancers, colon cancer is rarely noticeable in its early stages. This is partially because it usually develops from polyps, which don’t cause you any pain or discomfort, making you unaware of them. Women also tend to think that they can’t get colon cancer, though they are just as much at risk.

With colonoscopies, a surgeon can check your colon for malignant polyps and get rid of them. They can also confirm whether you already have colon cancer and see how far it has spread so that treatment may begin. 
 

Colonoscopies are only one of the many services offered at the Lincoln Surgical Group, P.C. in Lincoln, NE. Established in the 1930s, they accept only the finest and most knowledgeable doctors and surgeons for a variety of sensitive procedures, including wound care, hernia treatments, vascular surgeries, gallbladder removals, and more. Their equipment is state-of-the-art as well, guaranteeing accurate results. Find out more details by calling (402) 483-7825 or messaging them online.