Having a colonoscopy might not be your idea of a good time, but there’s no denying the significant benefits regular colonoscopies provide. During a colonoscopy, we use a special scope to see inside your rectum and colon (your lower intestine), allowing Dr. Tarlowe to look for signs of disease that might otherwise go unnoticed.
While most people associate colonoscopy with early detection of colorectal cancer, it offers lots of other benefits for your digestive health, too. In this post, learn about some of the other ways colonoscopy can help you improve your digestive health and your overall health, too.
Colon polyps are fleshy growths that form in the wall of your colon. There are different types of polyps, some that are harmless (benign) and some that are early signs of colorectal cancer. Colonoscopy allows Dr. Tarlowe to carefully examine polyps and remove them for further evaluation in a lab.
Polyp evaluation helps identify colon cancer early, when treatment is most effective. Even noncancerous polyps can grow and cause problems, like bleeding or pain. Removing polyps during a colonoscopy can help relieve these symptoms or prevent them from occurring.
Millions of Americans suffer from IBD, a group of diseases including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and microscopic colitis. IBD causes significant inflammation that can lead to a variety of symptoms, like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fatigue. Without treatment, IBD can lead to serious blood loss, as well.
During a colonoscopy, Dr. Tarlowe examines the bowel to look for signs of IBD. If you already have IBD, a colonoscopy can help ensure your treatment stays on track with your needs over time.
Diverticula are tiny pouches that form inside your colon, causing a common condition called diverticulosis. If these pouches “catch” and retain stool material or wastes, they can become irritated and inflamed. This is a more concerning stage called diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis can cause considerable pain along with bowel bleeding. Without management, it can also lead to life-threatening complications, like bowel perforations. Colonoscopy helps diagnose diverticular disease so we can prescribe treatment aimed at relieving inflammation or even preventing it.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins located inside or outside your rectum. External hemorrhoids typically can be diagnosed with a visual exam, but internal hemorrhoids can be harder to discern.
While a colonoscopy isn’t routinely used to diagnose or manage hemorrhoids, it can definitely reveal their presence, even if they’re not causing noticeable symptoms. For patients with hemorrhoids who also experience unusual bleeding or other abnormal symptoms, we may recommend a colonoscopy to rule out other possible causes, like colorectal cancer.
Colonoscopies are also frequently recommended to help identify the underlying cause of unexplained symptoms, like severe abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea or constipation, changes in stool appearance of consistency, rectal bleeding, and other symptoms related to digestive health.
The high-resolution camera and real-time imaging capabilities make colonoscopy an ideal tool for identifying infections, blockages, strictures, and other issues that require prompt medical attention to prevent serious and even life-threatening complications.
While colonoscopy can’t detect irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it can rule out other potential causes of symptoms, making it easier to prescribe treatment. It’s also not used to diagnose celiac disease, a condition that affects the small intestine, which is not visualized during colonoscopy.
If you’ve never had a colonoscopy, you might be worried about the procedure or the prep that precedes it. Don’t be. Both the procedure and the prep are a lot simpler and more straightforward than you probably realize, and the benefits are well worth it.
To learn more about colonoscopy or to schedule a procedure, call 954-210-7127 or request an appointment online with Michael H. Tarlowe, MD, in Deerfield Beach, Florida, today.
