A colonoscopy is a lower gastrointestinal test used to examine the lining of the colon and rectum for abnormalities such as colon polyps, inflammation, ulceration, bleeding and colon tumors.

A colonoscopy is a physical examination of the large intestine and rectum. Colonoscopies help doctors to investigate unexplained changes in a patient’s bowel habits, weight loss and abdominal pain. They are also used to screen for cancer.

A colonoscopy is a procedure that examines your large intestine and rectum to diagnose several health conditions, including colon cancer and polyps. Despite the outpatient techniques used during a colonoscopy, medication and dietary restrictions begin several days before the examination.

For patients without a family history of colorectal cancer, routine colonoscopy screening should begin at age 50, advises the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. During this testing procedure, a doctor uses a thin, lighted tube called a colonoscope to examine the inside of the colon.

Nobody likes the effects of bowel cleansers--severe diarrhea--but the bowel must be clean to evaluate its health, according to German gastroenterologist S. Schanz.

If your doctor has ordered you to undergo a colonoscopy so she can better determine the health of your rectum and colon, she will probably also advise you to follow a colonoscopy prep diet to help you clean out your bowels before the exam.

Standard colonoscopy involves the visual inspection of the rectum and large intestine by insertion of a flexible video camera through the anus. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of people report abdominal pain or discomfort after a colonoscopy, according to an October 2011 "Gastrointestinal Endoscopy"

A colonoscopy is a procedure that enables a gastroenterologist to examine the colon for tumors, ulcers, inflammation and sites of bleeding. Colonoscopy preps are medications prescribed to remove fecal matter from the colon to facilitate a clearer view of the lining of the colon.

A colonoscopy is a test in which a small camera affixed to the end of a lighted thin, flexible tube is inserted into the colon for examination. Colonoscopies are used, according to the American Cancer Society, to screen patients for problems such as polyps, colon cancer and bleeding.

About a day before a colonoscopy, you will have to drink a very unappealing solution commonly called colon prep. The solution works by evacuating everything from the small intestine to the lower large intestine, called the colon, the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse says.

Many people take prescribed or over-the-counter medications they must stop using before a colonoscopy. It proves important to comply with these drug restrictions, and if not, it proves crucial for people to tell their doctor they took a drug on the must-stop list.

A colonoscopy is a medical procedure that allows a doctor to view the inner lining of the rectum and colon. The doctor uses a colonoscope, a thin, flexible tube with a camera at the end, to take pictures or video of the colon.