The Facts About Digital Rectal Exams

At some point during a physical examination, your physician will give you a digital rectal exam (DRE). The experience may make you uncomfortable or embarrassed but it is a necessary procedure. When you turn 40-years-old, you should plan on having yearly digital rectal exams as recommended by the American Cancer Society.

What Does a Digital Rectal Exam Involve?

Male or female, you will be asked to take off your pants and underwear and put on a hospital gown. If you are a women, you will be instructed to lie on your back with your knees bent and resting in the stirrups at the end of the examination table. If you are a man, you may be asked to stand and bend forward or lie on your left side, with your knees and hips bent. Your physician will put on a glove and lubricate the fingers. You will be asked to relax as much as possible and inhale deeply. As you breathe in, your physician will insert one finger into your rectum and gently palpate your lower abdomen with the other hand.

Why Is a Digital Rectal Exam Necessary?

When the physician palpates your abdomen during a digital rectal exam, he is checking your internal organs for abnormalities like swelling or lumps. In women, he is checking the uterus and ovaries. In men, he is checking the prostate gland.

He may collect a stool sample from your exam. The sample will be used to check for blood which could be a sign of colorectal cancer. He will also check for internal hemorrhoids or other growths in your rectum. Sometimes the bladder can be checked for problems during the digital rectal exam.

Changes in bowel movements or urination, pain in the abdomen or pelvis, rectal bleeding, or vaginal bleeding can be checked with a digital rectal examination. The test is used as an initial screening, not a definitive diagnosis.

During one digital rectal exam, my physician discovered an ovary which was enlarged and the cause of intermittent minor abdominal pain. After two ultrasounds to determine if the ovary would decrease in size by itself, I was referred to a surgeon who removed it. The ovary was benign.

Some Preparation Tips

Do not be embarrassed. A digital rectal exam is a routine procedure.

If you know you already have hemorrhoids, let your physician know so he can be even more gentle with the examination.

Although many physicians are aware of latex-sensitivities and have non-latex gloves, you should make sure your physician does not use latex-based gloves for the digital rectal exam if you are allergic. Do not assume he has read your record and knows of your allergy.

Above all, do not be worried even if you have had symptoms requiring a digital rectal examination. Your physician will order further tests if he suspects something is amiss. And as in my case, the tests may indicate a relatively minor and treatable problem.