Explanation

'Colon' means large intestine and 'scopy' means seeing, so colonoscopy just means 'seeing the colon'.

Colonoscopy uses a camera to see inside your large intestine. The camera is so small it can fit inside a thin tube, and the tube goes in through your bottom. Pictures are sent along the tube and doctors can watch them on a TV screen. They can also move the camera around to look at different bits of your intestine, or even take a biopsy to look at things more closely.

When do I need one?

Your doctor will arrange for you to have colonoscopy if he or she thinks that something is wrong inside your colon. If you have things like blood in your poo, diarrhoea (runny poo) that just won't go away, or pain in the bottom of your stomach, then they might be caused by problems inside your colon.

Colonoscopy may be able to tell your doctor if you have things like:

-Ulcerative colitis

-Crohn's disease

-Diverticula

-Polyps or cancer

A colonoscopy can also show your doctor that there is nothing wrong with your colon and that the problems you have might be coming from somewhere else in your body.

What happens before I have it?

The doctors and nurses at the hospital will tell you what to do. You'll have to eat a special diet for a few days before you have the colonoscopy. You'll also be given something called a laxative to take the night before. The laxative just makes you go for a poo, so that when you have your colonoscopy your colon is empty, clean and easy to see.

You should tell your doctor about any medications, vitamins or other dietary supplements that you take regularly.

How is it done?

You will be given a medicine to help you relax and maybe feel a bit sleepy. This is called a sedative, and it might be given using an injection in the back of your hand. You will then be asked to lie down on your side and the colonoscopist (an expert in colonoscopy) will carefully push the colonoscope through your bottom and into your colon. He or she may ask you to shift around a bit to get a better view.

The colonoscope may send some air into your colon to make it easier to see inside it. This air may make you fart and make you feel like you need to do a poo. Don't worry about this, it's normal and there's nothing to be ashamed of if you do fart!

The camera on the colonoscope sends pictures and videos back to the colonoscopist, who will record all of this information. He or she might even take a biopsy from inside your colon or remove a polyp if they find one, using a small instrument on the colonoscope that can grab a piece of lining on your colon or cut the polyp away. Don't worry, this doesn't hurt.

The colonoscopy itself doesn't last longer than an hour.

Will it hurt?

Colonoscopy doesn't hurt, but it might make you feel a bit uncomfortable. You may also get some pains in the bottom of your tummy and feel bloated for an hour afterwards.

Could it cause any problems afterwards?

There are usually no problems afterwards. But, there is a small chance that colonoscopy might hurt your colon. This could cause bleeding and infection, so make sure you tell your doctor immediately if you get any of these things within 2 days of having colonoscopy:

-Pain in your lower tummy

-Fever and high temperature

-Passing blood from your bottom

-Feeling dizzy or weak

What happens next?

You can go home an hour or two after you have had the colonoscopy. The sedative might make you might feel very sleepy for up to a day afterwards, so make sure you take it easy - it's not a good idea to do things like riding your bike!

When your doctor gets the results of the test from the colonoscopist, he or she will discuss them with you.

What if I have any more questions?

If you have any other questions, you can ask your doctor, or chat to other people about colonoscopy in the Medikidz forums and virtual world, Mediland.