Symptoms Requiring a Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is a test that allows the physician to look inside your colon by using a colonoscope (a flexible, lighted camera). The scope and camera is about 3 feet long and it sends magnified images to a computer screen. This allows your physician to see anything that might be causing your symptoms. Basically, symptoms that are unrelieved by other methods may cause you to need a colonoscopy test done.

Chronic Constipation

• Many people suffer with chronic constipation caused by a wide range of conditions and illness including: Cancer, blockage in colon and even poor diet. Treating the constipation with homeopathic or pharmaceutical methods are often enough to resolve the matter. However, when constipation becomes chronic additional testing and procedures (like a colonoscopy) may need to be done to confirm the actual cause so that it can be appropriately treated.

Diarrhea

• Anyone who has had a stomach virus with diarrhea knows how hard it can be on your body. Diarrhea can be caused by numerous things including: Food, traveling, medications and illness. In some cases diarrhea can become so severe that it will cause additional symptoms such as dehydration and fatigue. At this point, you will need medical intervention. If the diarrhea cannot be successfully treated either at home or medically by a physician, a colonoscopy may need to be done to take a look at the colon. A colonoscopy is used when x-ray and blood tests cannot successfully determine the cause for the diarrhea.

Bleeding

• Sometimes bleeding can occur in the colon. This can cause blood to mix with stool or cause bleeding from the rectum. This can be a very frightening symptom for many people and can be a sign of both minor illness such as hemorrhoids or more serious illness such as colon cancer. In addition, The Mayo Clinic reports that bloody diarrhea may be a symptom of ischemic colitis. Ischemic colitis is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose without doing a colonoscopy.

Cramping/Pain

• Many people with serious bowel problems such as colorectal cancer will have chronic pains. These sufferers report that a gnawing or rumbling pain occurs in their stomach and bowel. To determine what the exact cause of the pain is, may require having a colonoscopy done. Cramping can be mild to severe and is sometimes misdiagnosed. Using a colonoscopy to view the colon can ensure that the pain is not being caused by a more serious disease such as Crohn's disease or colon cancer.

Weight Loss

• Many gastrointestinal diseases cause weight loss. In some cases the weight loss can be very severe. For example, people that suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease will sometimes have problems absorbing nutrients from food passed through the bowel. They can also have periods of exacerbated illness that cause them to lose a large amount of weight. To be sure that the physician is treating you for the correct condition may require having a colonoscopy. Many times diseases such as ulcerative colitis causes ulcers to form in the bowel which can make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.