Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder of the bowel. Usually it is characterized by abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation and changes in bowel habits.
Diagnosing IBS is not that simple. No specific laboratory exam can be used to detect it. So what doctors usually do is that the run a series of medical examinations to rule out other gastrointestinal diseases and one of these medical examinations is colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy is a type of endoscopic examination that targets the large intestine and some parts of the small bowel. It allows a doctor to see the inner lining of the large bowel. A fiber optic camera or CCD camera fitted on a flexible tube called a colonoscope is inserted into the anus.
Colonoscopy is not only for visualization of the inner lining of the large bowel. The doctor performing the procedure may also be able to do a biopsy or if there is a presence of lesions, he can also remove them. Colonoscopy may also be used to remove polyps that are not larger than 1 millimeter in size.
There is some confusion regarding colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy and people usually make the mistake of interchanging the two. While they both do more or less have the same function, they are actually different.
Colonoscopy is indicated for patients who are experiencing gastrointestinal hemorrhage, suspicion of malignancy or in the case of irritable bowel syndrome, sudden changes in bowel habits.
Sometimes, colonoscopy is also indicated to geriatric patients who have an unexplainable sudden drop of hematocrit even if there is no presence of blood in the stool.
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