The proctologist profession is on the list of the funniest specialties. It is believed that the object of study of this specialist is the body, which in a decent society is not accepted to recall. At least until such time as the services of this specialist are needed by amateurs themselves to joke about this profession. But everything is not so simple as it might seem at first glance, and the scope of what the proctologist treats is much wider than the narrow "outhouse" humor.
Proctology as a field of medical knowledge considers the diagnosis, treatment, research and prevention of diseases of organs such as the rectum, colon and adjacent organs. Thus, what the proctologist treats is more likely to relate to the gastrointestinal tract, rather than the anus.
But diseases associated with the anus are also within the purview of such a specialist. And in general, this profession at the moment bears the correct name - coloproctologist. And this concept is somewhat wider than the usual hearing. How does such a doctor differ from a proctologist in that he treats, and why is there a prefix “colo” in this name? Previously, his "field of activity" was purely rectal disease. At the moment, the scope of activities has also expanded to adjacent organs, since often their diseases are closely interrelated and affect the large intestine.
There is another area to which the proctologist relates. What does this specialist treat, except for diseases and inflammatory processes in the intestines? This is a delicate area called hemorrhoids - inflammation and thrombosis of hemorrhoidal veins located in the anus. This disease is leading among proctologist patients.
When should a mandatory examination be carried out by a specialist in this field of medicine? Despite the fact that the proctologist treats bowel disease, his mandatory visit is shown not only to people suffering from any symptoms of these diseases. Inspection is necessary for the following categories of people:
- pregnant women in the third trimester or women after recent birth;
- women who entered the period of menopause;
- people suffering from overweight;
- those who, for whatever reason, have been seated for a long time (for example, due to a serious illness);
- to those people whose relatives suffered from colorectal cancer, if their age is above forty years.
Having found out what the proctologist is treating, the following symptoms can be distinguished when his consultation is urgently needed. It:
- regular constipation or diarrhea;
- pain in the anus, which are activated when walking or sitting;
- the formation of swelling in the anus;
- the appearance of blood in the feces;
- a sensation of a foreign body in the anus;
- exit to the hemorrhoid.
Now it’s clear who the proctologist is and what this doctor is treating . If you notice any of the above symptoms at home, it is possible that your intestines are functioning intermittently, which means that you need to make a specific diagnosis and prescribe qualified treatment for such a specialist.