colonic

Your colon, also known as the large intestine, is part of your digestive system. It's a long, hollow tube at the end of your digestive tract where your body makes and stores stool. Many disorders affect the colon's ability to work properly. Some of these include:

• Colorectal cancer
• Colonic polyps - extra tissue growing in the colon that can become cancerous
• Ulcerative colitis - ulcers of the colon and rectum
• Diverticulitis - inflammation or infection of pouches in the colon
• Irritable bowel syndrome - an uncomfortable condition causing abdominal cramping and other symptoms

Treatment for colonic diseases varies greatly depending on the disease and its severity. Treatment may involve diet, medicines and in some cases, surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

A polyp is an extra piece of tissue that grows inside your body. Colonic polyps grow in the large intestine, or colon. Most polyps are not dangerous. However, some polyps may turn into cancer or already be cancer. To be safe, doctors remove polyps and test them. Polyps can be removed when a doctor examines the inside of the large intestine during a colonoscopy.

Anyone can get polyps, but certain people are more likely than others. You may have a greater chance of getting polyps if you :

• Are over age 50
• Have had polyps before
• Have a family member with polyps
• Have a family history of colon cancer

Most colon polyps do not cause symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include blood on your underwear or on toilet paper after a bowel movement, blood in your stool, or constipation or diarrhea lasting more than a week.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Colorectal cancer is cancer that develops in the tissues of the colon or rectum. Your colon and rectum are part of your digestive system:

• Your colon is the first and longest part of your large intestine. It absorbs water and some nutrients from foods. It also changes the leftover waste products into stool (poop).
• Your rectum is the lower part of your large intestine. It's where your body stores stool.

Cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer, and cancer that begins in the rectum is called rectal cancer. Cancer that affects either of these parts may also be called colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer happens when there are changes in your genetic material (DNA). These changes are also called mutations or variants. Often, the genetic changes that lead to colorectal cancer happen during your lifetime and the exact cause is unknown. But certain genetic changes that raise your risk for colorectal cancer are inherited, meaning that you are born with them.

Besides genetics, other factors, including your lifestyle and the environment, can affect your risk of colorectal cancer.

Anyone can get colorectal cancer, but certain factors make you more likely to develop it:

• Being older; your risk of getting colorectal cancer increases as you age.
• Having a personal or family history of colorectal cancer.
• Having a history of adenomas. Adenomas are colorectal polyps (growths) that look abnormal under a microscope or are 1 centimeter or larger. Adenomas are not cancer, but they can sometimes turn into cancer over time.
• Having a genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer).
• Having chronic ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease for 8 years or more.
• Having three or more alcoholic drinks per day.
• Smoking cigarettes.
• Being Black; Black people have an increased risk of colorectal cancer and death from colorectal cancer compared to other races.
• Having obesity.

Colorectal cancer may not always cause symptoms, especially at first. If you do have symptoms, they could include:

• A change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few days, such as:
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
  • Your stool is narrower or has a different shape than usual
• Blood (either bright red or very dark) in the stool
• Frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, or cramps
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Fatigue

Because colorectal cancer may not cause symptoms at first, it's important to have screening tests for colorectal cancer. Screening tests look for signs of a disease before you have any symptoms. They can help find cancer early, when it may be easier to treat.

Most experts recommend that start screenings at 45 and continue until at least age 75. People over 75 and those who are at high risk should talk to their providers about how often you need screening and what type of test they should get.

The types of tests include different stool tests and procedures such as colonoscopies and flexible sigmoidoscopy. Talk with your provider about how often you need screening and what type of test you should get.

If you have symptoms that could be caused by colorectal cancer or if your screening test results are abnormal, you may need to have more tests to find out if you have cancer. Possible tests include:

• A physical exam.
• A digital rectal exam. For this exam, your provider inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum to feel for lumps or anything unusual.
• The tests that are also used for screening (colonoscopy, stool tests, etc.) and biopsy, if you have not already had them.
• Other blood and tissue tests.

Your treatment options usually depend on your age, your general health, how serious the cancer is, and which type of cancer you have.

For colon cancer, your treatment may include one or more of these options:

• Surgery.
• Radiofrequency ablation, a procedure that uses radio waves to heat and destroy abnormal cells. The radio waves travel through electrodes (small devices that carry electricity).
• Cryosurgery, a procedure in which an extremely cold liquid or an instrument called a cryoprobe is used to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue.
• Chemotherapy.
• Radiation therapy.
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that mainly attack specific cancer cells and cause less harm to normal cells.
• Immunotherapy.

For rectal cancer, your treatment may include one or more of these options:

• Surgery.
• Radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy.
• Active surveillance, which means having regular tests to see if your rectal cancer has changed. If the tests show the cancer is starting to grow, then you will have treatment to try to cure the cancer.
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that mainly attack specific cancer cells and cause less harm to normal cells.
• Immunotherapy.

Avoiding the risk factors that you have control over may help prevent some cancers. That includes:

• Not smoking
• Limiting alcohol to under three drinks per day
• Managing your weight

There are also other steps you can take to try to prevent colorectal cancer. They include:

• Getting regular colorectal cancer screenings
• Having polyps removed before they can become cancerous
• Getting regular exercise

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a problem that affects the large intestine. It can cause abdominal cramping, bloating, and a change in bowel habits. Some people with the disorder have constipation. Some have diarrhea. Others go back and forth between the two. Although IBS can cause a great deal of discomfort, it does not harm the intestines.

IBS is common. It affects about twice as many women as men and is most often found in people younger than 45 years. No one knows the exact cause of IBS. There is no specific test for it. Your doctor may run tests to be sure you don't have other diseases. These tests may include stool sampling tests, blood tests, and x-rays. Your doctor may also do a test called a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Most people diagnosed with IBS can control their symptoms with diet, stress management, probiotics, and medicine.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy are procedures that let your doctor look inside your rectum and colon (large intestine). They use instruments called scopes. Scopes have a light and a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube. These procedures let your doctor see problems such as inflamed tissue, ulcers, polyps, and cancer.

Colonoscopy checks your entire colon and rectum. Flexible sigmoidoscopy checks the rectum and the lower colon (sigmoid colon) only.

A virtual colonoscopy also looks inside your rectum and part of your colon. But it does not use a scope. Instead, it is an x-ray test. Another name for this test is CT colonography.

You may need a colonoscopy, virtual colonoscopy, or flexible sigmoidoscopy to find the cause of unexplained symptoms such as:

• Bleeding from your anus (the opening of the rectum through which stool passes out of your body)
• Changes in your bowel activity, such as diarrhea
• Pain in your abdomen (belly)
• Unexplained weight loss

Doctors also use these procedures to screen for colon polyps and cancer. Screening is testing for diseases when you have no symptoms. It may find diseases at an early stage, when they are easier to treat. If aren't at higher risk for colorectal cancer, your health care provider will likely recommend you start getting screenings at age 45. If you at higher risk, you may need to start getting screened for colorectal cancer earlier.

There are also other tests to screen for colorectal cancer, including stool tests. Talk with your provider about which test is right for you and when and how often you should get it.

To prepare for a colonoscopy, virtual colonoscopy, or flexible sigmoidoscopy, you will need to:

• Talk with your doctor about any health problems you have and all of the medicines and supplements that you take. You may need to stop taking some of your medicines and/or supplements before the procedure.
• Follow the bowel prep instructions from your doctor. The bowel prep clears the stool out of your colon, so your doctor will be able to see the colon during the procedure:
  • You may need to follow a clear liquid diet, usually for about one day before the procedure. Avoid red or purple drinks or gelatin; the dye can look like blood in the colon. You probably need to stop eating and drinking the night before the exam.
  • You will need to take some laxatives. They may be pills, a powder that you dissolve in liquid, an enema, or a combination of these. The laxative will cause diarrhea, so you need to stay close to the bathroom.

For a virtual colonoscopy, you will also need to drink a contrast medium the night before. The contrast medium is a dye or other substance that is visible on x-rays. It can help your doctor tell the difference between stool and polyps.

For a colonoscopy:

• You will have the procedure at a hospital or outpatient center. It usually takes 30 to 60 minutes.
• You will get IV (intravenous) sedatives or anesthesia, usually along with pain medicine, so you won't be awake or feel pain during the procedure.
• You'll lie on a table while the doctor inserts a colonoscope through your anus and into your rectum and colon. The scope inflates your large intestine with air for a better view. The camera sends a video image to a monitor so your doctor can see your colon.
• Once the scope reaches the opening to your small intestine, the doctor will slowly remove the scope. While doing so, your doctor will examine your colon again.
• If you have polyps, your doctor may remove them and send them to a lab for testing. Most polyps aren't cancer, but removing them can prevent them from becoming cancer later on.
• If you have abnormal tissue, your doctor may do a biopsy.
• The sedative or anesthesia takes time to wear off completely. You'll stay at the hospital or outpatient center for 1 to 2 hours after the procedure. Then you will need someone to drive you home.

For a virtual colonoscopy:

• You will have the procedure at a hospital or outpatient center. It usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
• You do not need anesthesia.
• You'll lie on a table while a specially trained x-ray technician inserts a thin tube through your anus and into your rectum. The tube inflates your large intestine with air for a better view.
• The table slides into a tunnel-shaped device where the technician takes the x-ray images. You will turn over on your side or stomach to get more images taken.

For a flexible sigmoidoscopy:

• You will have the procedure at a hospital, medical office, or outpatient center. It usually takes about 20 minutes.
• You do not need anesthesia.
• You'll lie on a table while the doctor inserts a thin tube through your anus and into your rectum. The tube inflates your large intestine with air for a better view. The camera sends a video image to a monitor so your doctor can see your lower colon.
• Once the scope has reached the top of the lower colon, the doctor will slowly remove the scope. While doing so, your doctor will examine your lower colon again.
• If you have polyps, your doctor may remove them and send them to a lab for testing. Most polyps aren't cancer, but removing them can prevent them from becoming cancer later on.
• If you have abnormal tissue, your doctor may do a biopsy.

You may feel cramping in your abdomen or bloating during the first hour after the any of these procedures. If the doctor removed polyps or performed a biopsy, you may have light bleeding from your anus. This bleeding is normal.

For a virtual colonoscopy or a flexible sigmoidoscopy, you go back to your regular activities and diet right after the test. For a colonoscopy, you can expect a full recovery and return to your normal diet by the next day.

Your doctor will give you the results of your procedure. If you had a biopsy, it can take a few days to get those results.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Diverticula are small pouches, or sacs, that bulge outward through weak spots in your colon. They mostly form in the lower part of the colon. Diverticulosis is a condition in which you have these pouches. Most people who have diverticulosis do not have symptoms or problems. But sometimes the pouches can cause symptoms or become inflamed.

Diverticulitis is the name for the condition you have when one or more of the pouches get inflamed. Diverticulitis may come on suddenly. It can sometimes cause serious health problems.

Diverticular disease is a condition that happens when the pouches cause:

• Chronic (long-term) symptoms
• Diverticular bleeding
• Diverticulitis or diverticulitis complications

Researchers aren't sure what causes diverticulosis and diverticulitis. They think certain factors may play a role in causing or increasing the risk for these conditions, including:

• Your genetics. Certain genes may make some people more likely to develop the conditions.
• Lifestyle factors such as:
  • Diets low in fiber and high in red meat
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Taking certain medicines, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids
  • Having obesity
  • Smoking

Researchers are also looking at other possible factors that may play a role in these conditions. Those factors include bacteria or stool (poop) getting caught in a pouch in your colon and changes in the microbiome in the intestines. Your microbiome is made up of the bacteria and other organisms in your intestines.

Diverticulosis is common, especially as people age. More than one-third of U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 59 have diverticulosis. More than two-thirds who are over age 80 have it. Most of those people will not have symptoms or problems. But some of them will develop diverticulitis.

Diverticulosis usually doesn't cause symptoms. But some people can have chronic symptoms such as:

• Bloating
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Cramping or painin the lower abdomen (belly)

Diverticulitis may cause acute symptoms such as:

• Abdominal pain, most often in the lower left side of your abdomen
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Fevers and chills
• Nausea or vomiting

The pain caused by diverticulitis is usually severe and comes on suddenly. Less often, the pain may be mild and worsen over several days.

Some people with diverticulosis and diverticulitis may develop serious health problems (complications). Diverticular bleeding happens when a small blood vessel within the wall of a pouch bursts. The bleeding may be severe and sometimes even life-threatening.

People with diverticulitis can also develop serious problems such as:

• Abscess, a painful, swollen, pus-filled area caused by infection
• Fistula, an abnormal opening or passage between the colon and another part of the body, such as the bladder or vagina
• Intestinal obstruction, a partial or total blockage that keeps food, fluids, air, or stool from moving through your intestines
• Perforation, or a hole, in your colon
• Peritonitis, an infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity

Diverticulosis may be found when your health care provider is doing tests for another reason. Diverticulitis is usually found when you are having an acute attack.

To make a diagnosis, your provider will review your medical history, do a physical exam, and order tests. The tests may include:

• Blood tests
• Stool tests
• Imaging tests such as CT scan, ultrasound, or MRI
• Colonoscopy

f your diverticulosis is causing chronic symptoms, your provider may recommend:

• High-fiber foods or fiber supplements
• Antibiotics
• Medicines to reduce inflammation
• Probiotics

If you have diverticulitis without complications, your provider may recommend treatment at home. However, you probably need treatment in the hospital if you have severe diverticulitis, diverticulitis with complications, or a high risk for complications.

Treatments for diverticulitis may include:

• Antibiotics, except for very mild cases.
• A clear liquid diet for a short time to rest the colon. Your provider may suggest slowly adding solid foods to your diet as your symptoms improve.
• Medicines for pain. This is usually acetaminophen instead of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs may increase the chance of diverticulitis complications.
• Antispasmodic medicines to relieve spasms.

If your diverticulitis doesn't improve with treatment or if it causes complications, you may need surgery to remove part of your colon.

Your provider may recommend lifestyle changes to prevent diverticulitis:

• Eating a diet high in fiber and low in red meat
• Being physically active on a regular basis
• Not smoking (and quitting smoking if you are a smoker)
• Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

An ostomy is surgery to create an opening (stoma) from an area inside the body to the outside. It treats certain diseases of the digestive or urinary systems. It can be permanent, when an organ must be removed. It can be temporary, when the organ needs time to heal. The organ could be the small intestine, colon, rectum, or bladder. With an ostomy, there must be a new way for wastes to leave the body.

There are many different types of ostomy. Some examples are:

• Ileostomy - the bottom of the small intestine (ileum) is attached to the stoma. This bypasses the colon, rectum and anus.
• Colostomy - the colon is attached to the stoma. This bypasses the rectum and the anus.
• Urostomy - the tubes that carry urine to the bladder are attached to the stoma. This bypasses the bladder.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Your digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine or colon, rectum, and anus. Bleeding can come from any of these areas. The amount of bleeding can be so small that only a lab test can find it.

Signs of bleeding in the digestive tract depend where it is and how much bleeding there is.

Signs of bleeding in the upper digestive tract include:

• Bright red blood in vomit
• Vomit that looks like coffee grounds
• Black or tarry stool
• Dark blood mixed with stool

Signs of bleeding in the lower digestive tract include:

• Black or tarry stool
• Dark blood mixed with stool
• Stool mixed or coated with bright red blood

GI bleeding is not a disease, but a symptom of a disease. There are many possible causes of GI bleeding, including hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, tears or inflammation in the esophagus, diverticulosis and diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, colonic polyps, or cancer in the colon, stomach or esophagus.

The test used most often to look for the cause of GI bleeding is called endoscopy. It uses a flexible instrument inserted through the mouth or rectum to view the inside of the GI tract. A type of endoscopy called colonoscopy looks at the large intestine.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the lining of the rectum and colon. It is one of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease.

UC can happen at any age, but it usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30. It tends to run in families. The most common symptoms are pain in the abdomen and blood or pus in diarrhea. Other symptoms may include:

• Anemia
• Severe tiredness
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Bleeding from the rectum
• Sores on the skin
• Joint pain
• Growth failure in children

About half of people with UC have mild symptoms.

Doctors use blood tests, stool tests, colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, and imaging tests to diagnose UC. Several types of drugs can help control it. Some people have long periods of remission, when they are free of symptoms. In severe cases, doctors must remove the colon.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, and high rates of red blood cell destruction.

Conditions that may lead to anemia include:

• Heavy periods
• Pregnancy
• Ulcers
• Colon polyps or colon cancer
• Inherited disorders
• A diet that does not have enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B12
• Blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, or cancer
• Aplastic anemia, a condition that can be inherited or acquired
• G6PD deficiency, a metabolic disorder

Anemia can make you feel tired, cold, dizzy, and irritable. You may be short of breath or have a headache.

Your doctor will diagnose anemia with a physical exam and blood tests. Treatment depends on the kind of anemia you have.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute