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Testing, Testing 123: Phlebotomy Basics

When my mother underwent chemotherapy, we spent a lot of time visiting the phlebotomy lab for blood testing. I was always impressed by how easily the phlebotomist was able to find and puncture a vein to draw blood on the first try. I knew there had to be a method to it, and was astounded by how effortless and painless they made the process. It led me to research a lot about blood tests, from drawing to the actual screening. I've created this site to share what I've learned in the hopes of teaching others. The more you understand, the more control you can have over your own health care.

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Testing, Testing 123: Phlebotomy Basics

Are Colonoscopies Painful?

by Francisco Arnold

Going in for a colonoscopy for the first time can potentially have you worrying about a number of things. If one of these is whether or not you'll experience pain during this procedure, then read this simple guide to find out more about the steps taken to ensure that you don't feel any pain.

Prep Work

When you're sent in for a colonoscopy, you won't just go from living a normal daily life to going into the hospital. Your doctor will have you go through some steps first to ensure that the colonoscopy is successful and pain-free for you.

One of these steps is having you drink a prescription solution the night before your colonoscopy. This medication will help to flush out the intestines to ensure that the scope runs freely and easily up the colon. Since no actual surgical procedures are performed during a standard colonoscopy, nothing will be done during the procedure - so long as the colon is clear of excrement and waste material - that should induce any pain.

Anesthesia

Anesthesia is used when you're actually receiving your colonoscopy. For most people, general anesthesia is used. You'll be given an injection that will put you in a state of unconsciousness for the duration of the procedure.

Once the colonoscopy is finished, your doctor will reduce the amount of anesthetic until you regain consciousness. You'll then recover for a while in a post-operation room. During this time, you shouldn't experience any pain, as the leftover anesthesia will prevent you from feeling it.

Recovery

If your doctor has reason to believe that there could be some discomfort involved, they will send you home with medication to keep it under control. This is a fairly rare circumstance, however. Colonoscopies typically just look at the walls of the colon, which doesn't typically induce any kind of discomfort at all after the fact.

In rare circumstances, if your doctor sees something that they're concerned about, they may take a biopsy sample. In this case, a small incision would be made to take a tissue sample for testing. In this instance, your doctor will make sure to direct you on using a pain reliever to ensure that you don't have any discomfort from your procedure.

Colonoscopies are painless and extremely helpful procedures that can help your doctor to detect problems before they become a life-threatening situation. Make sure to keep your appointment and get your colonoscopy when you should. For more information, contact a local clinic like Pilipshen Colon & Rectal Surgical Services

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