Colonoscopy
A colonoscopy is an examination of the inside of your large intestine, which includes your colon, rectum and anus. It’s a type of endoscopy, which means that it uses an endoscope, a flexible tube with a lighted camera on the end that’s inserted into your body. There are different types of endoscopes for different parts of your body. In a colonoscopy, the colonoscope passes through your anus and rectum into your colon. Along the way, it sends pictures of the inside of your large intestine to a screen.
Symptoms that might require a colonoscopy include:
Unexplained rectal bleeding or discharge.
Unexplained changes in your bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or incontinence.
Unexplained persistent abdominal pain.
Unexplained weight loss or lack of weight gain in children.
