Let's start the List from least to most "pleasant".
Endoscope.
An endoscopy is a procedure which involves examining the inside of a person's body using a device known as an endoscope. What is an endoscope you may ask? It is a medical device consisting of a long, thin, flexible (or rigid) tube which has a light and a video camera. Doctors use an endoscope to examine the interior surfaces of an organ or tissues. The images of the inside of the patient's body can be seen on a screen, and the entire procedure is usually recorded so that doctors can check it again.
A man by the name of Philip Bozzini is credited with being the "father" of this magical device. In 1806 he had come up with an instrument consisting of an aluminium tube which was illuminated by a candle and fitted with mirrors that reflected the images from inside the patient's body to the observer ( let's hope it's the doctor). Back then he called his device the "Lichleiter" was used it to visualize the genitourinary (or urogenital) tract. The endoscope later evolved into the commonly used endoscopes of today that can even be fitted with certain mechanisms enabling biopsies and the retrieval of foreign objects. Many different types of endoscopes have been developed that are used to examine everything from the colon to the inside of the nose and even the lungs and other structures in the chest cavity. The endoscope is a noninvasive alternative to surgery and is a useful medical tool to help us see and thus better understand the interior cavities of the body. Unpleasantness includes some rather horrid medicine ("clearing" the way for the endoscope) and the fact that after this procedure you then have too face the fact that somewhere in the world there exists at least one person who has seen up your buttocks.
Capsule Endoscope.
Endoscopes inserted through the anus (to view the colon) or throat can not reach the small intestine (to reach the small intestine an incision must be made through to insert the endoscope, a surgery that is not preferred). Have no fear though, there's the capsule endoscope.A capsule endoscopy involves swallowing a pill about the same size as a multi-vitamin that has a camera attached to it. The patient swallows this pill which wirelessly sends images of inside their digestive system (2 images a second)to a belt that the patient wears. The device on the belt receives the images and records that data. After the pill has passed through the part of the tract wished to be imaged, the belt is removed and the images are downloaded and interpreted by a doctor. This procedure gives the doctors a view of the entire digestive tract and is very useful in diagnosing conditions such as gastrointestinal bleeding and small bowel Crohn's - diseases which before this capsule many patients would suffer with without a diagnosis. Unpleasantness includes that nasty medicine again....but who care cause you swallowed a camera!!!!
Barium Swallow.
A barium Swallow can be used to determine the cause of everything from painful swallowing, difficulty with swallowing, abdominal pain, blood-stained vomit or unexplained weight loss. The patient drinks a solution containing Barium Sulfate, a metalic compound that shows up on x-ray. The barium sulfate coats the inside of the digestive tract and the x-rays track its path. It is a procedure used to help see abnormalities in the esophagus and stomach. By conducting a barium swallow doctor's can diagnose everything from ulcers to abnormally enlarged veins in the esophagus than can cause bleeding. Unpleasantness may include yucky taste, unless you enjoy drinking chalk - like substances.
MRI Scan.
Last but not least comes the MRI scan, or magnetic resonance imaging, which uses magnetism, radio waves and a computer to produce images of different body structures. The device, which is quite huge and expensive so usually only major hospitals can afford them, consist of a tube surrounded by a giant circular magnet. The patient is placed on a movable bed that is "inserted" into the magnet. Now this part can get a bit confusing. The magnet creates strong magnetic fields that align the protons in the hydrogen atoms, which are then exposed to a beam of radio waves. This spins the various protons of the body, and they produce a faint signal that is detectable by the computer which converts them into an image. The images produced are actually very detailed and can be used to see everything from brain aneurysms, strokes, tumor and inflammation of the spine. Often surgery can be postponed until a scan is completed or more accurately conducted after viewing the results of an MRI scan. Unpleasantness may include an uncomfortable "bed" ( a plastic table really) and the loud noises of the machine (earmuffs are provided).
All of these procedures and devices give invaluable insights on the systems of the human body. These technologies have saved countless lives. Because of them, doctors can diagnose patients without the risks of surgery, help us better understand the complex systems (inculuding digestive, respiratory and circulatory) and have thus been influential in finding cures for patients and preforming successfull surgeries.
Sources
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153737.php
http://laparoscopy.blogs.com/endoscopyhistory/chapter_6/index.html
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&rlz=1I7ADRA_en&defl=en&q=define:genitourinary&ei=4eHMS_bVOYH68AbOg4HVBA&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title&ved=0CAYQkAE
http://laparoscopy.blogs.com/endoscopyhistory/chapter_6/index.html
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/barium_swallow/article_em.htm
