What Is a Possible Diagnosis After a Colonoscopy?

A colonoscopy is one of the most invasive medical examinations, but if you're experiencing gastrointestinal issues, this procedure is essential in identifying the problem and learning how to treat it. After studying the inside of your colon, your doctor could reach several conclusions.

Polyps

• Polyps look like bumps in the colon and occur when cells grow abnormally. If your doctor finds any polyps, he can remove and analyze them to determine if they are cancerous.

Lesions

• Lesions are also abnormal growths, but they can be harder to detect because they tend to be flatter than polyps. Your doctor can remove lesions and test them for indications of cancer.

Ulcerative Colitis

• Chronic inflammation of the colon can be a sign of ulcerative colitis, which causes diarrhea, cramping and bleeding stools. Your doctor can prescribe medications to help ease the symptoms, but the condition is incurable.

Crohn's Disease

• Crohn's disease has similar symptoms to ulcerative colitis but can reside throughout the digestive tract, especially around the small intestine. Since Crohn's is incurable, your doctor will prescribe medicine to ease the inflammation, but more serious cases will require surgery if the medication fails to work.