IBS Investigation Options
You may need some form of IBS investigation if your symptoms are not typical of Irritable Bowel or if you have risk factors for other diseases, including bowel cancer.
Your doctor will refer you to a specialist or Gastroenterologist for your Irritable Bowel Syndrome investigation. They have access to investigations such as Colonoscopy, Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, CT-Colonography 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).
They may do some blood tests and advise you on the best way to investigate your symptoms with further more specialised tests. This depends on age and clinical indication, particularly if concerns of pathological conditions such as cancer or inflammatory bowel disease have been raised.
Investigation Quick Links For YOU:
A Flexible Sigmoidoscopy - passing a flexible camera into the left side of the large bowel to assess the lining
A 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 to the caecum (cecum).
A Barium Enema - passing a special dye that shows up on x-ray to highlight the large bowel lining
A 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
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Investigation can be discussed further in the forum below.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Investigation Forum
Investigation ForumWelcome to our Irritable Bowel Investigation forum! You can ask questions, or comment on nearly anything related to your investigation. This is a great place to find others who have experienced similar investigations and share from your experiences. So if you are going to have an investigation such as colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, CT or Barium enema or have had these investigations, share your experiences or concerns!
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IBS symptoms › Symptoms of IBS › IBS Investigation
