"IBS investigation - what do I need?"

IBS investigation maybe required and your doctor might refer you to an IBS specialist to investigate your Irritable Bowel syndrome. They also have access to further investigations such as Colonoscopy , Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, CT and ultrasound.



Initially, your doctor will take a history of the complaint, perform an examination which might include a rectal examination (examination of the back passage by finger examination and Rigid Sigmoidoscopy - passing a rigid tube through the anus to look inside the back passage to assess the lining in the lower bowel), may chose to check some blood samples and advise on the best way to investigate further depending on your needs, preferences and fitness to have the tests done.

As mentioned, your specialist may request more specialised tests depending on age and clinical indication. If your doctor wants to exclude other potential causes for your symptoms. These investigations may include:

More complex investigations may include:

Colonoscopy - passing a flexible camera into the large bowel through the anus (entrance to the back passage), with the intention of assessing the whole of the large bowel or colon

Barium Enema - passing a special dye that shows up on x-ray to highlight the large bowel lining

CT colonography - to assess the large bowel, often reserved in cases where colonoscopy would be risky or technically not possible

Ultrasound - an examination that uses sound waves to highlight abdominal organs

IBS investigation is not always necessary, so please discuss this with your specialist.

To return to the ibs-help-online homepage click here