Why Am I So Constipated All the Time?
About 4 million Americans experience constipation on a regular basis, and what drives this uncomfortable backup can vary greatly. Here, we look at some leading suspects when it comes to constipation.
What to Expect Before, During, and After Your First Colonoscopy
It’s time for your first colonoscopy and you’re a little nervous considering the lore that surrounds this simple, yet very important, colorectal cancer screening.
Our team, led by board-certified gastroenterologist Dr. Sam Weissman, wants to put your mind at ease if you’re facing your first colonoscopy. We assure you, the hype is exaggerated and, like the 15 million people who undergo this screening each year in the United States find, you’ll be glad you took this important step toward safeguarding your health.
To support this statement, we’ve pulled together a look at what you can expect during your prep, your colonoscopy, and afterward.
Prepping for your colonoscopy
In order for us to get a good view of the walls of your colon and rectum, we need to make sure that they’re free and clear of stool. To accomplish this, you need to follow our detailed prep instructions carefully.
In most cases, for about 24 hours before your colonoscopy, you’ll be on a clear liquid diet. As well, you’ll collect a laxative at the pharmacy and drink this at specified times of the day before your colonoscopy.
The prep period is the hardest part of the colonoscopy journey as you’ll have a good amount of diarrhea as your bowels void themselves completely. So, we suggest you plan on staying at home with a good book or TV show and sticking close to a bathroom for the day.
A great way to think of this time is as a good cleanse — in fact, this cleanse will beat any of the fad cleanse diets in terms of truly clearing out your lower digestive tract.
During your colonoscopy
We’ll give you complete instructions about when to arrive for your colonoscopy and other specifics. For example, we suggest you wear comfortable clothing and leave your jewelry at home.
Once we get you settled into your gown, we administer a sedative, and that will likely be the last thing you remember about your colonoscopy until you wake up again.
For our part, we use a scope to examine the inside of the walls of your colon and rectum for suspicious tissues and polyps. If we find anything, we use this time to remove the tissue for further examination. In ost cases, the entire procedure takes less than an hour.
After your colonoscopy
When you wake up, you may feel a little groggy, but that should be the extent of the aftermath. You’ll need to arrange for a ride home as you won’t be able to drive thanks to the sedative.
While you may experience some residual gas or diarrhea, you can dive into your favorite foods again and celebrate the fact that you’ve taken this important step to preserve your health.
If you have more questions before your first colonoscopy, call our New York City office in the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn or request a consultation through this website.
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