What is ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the colon, or the large intestine and rectum, which causes ulcers to appear in the colon wall. One of the most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis is bloody diarrhea. As a result of ulcerative colitis , small ulcers can develop on the lining of the colon, and they can bleed and produce pus.
Types of ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis can affect different parts of the colon and rectum. There are 3 main types of ulcerative colitis , and each can have different symptoms. The severity of the condition depends on the amount of inflammation and the affected area.
Ulcerative proctitis
This type of ulcerative colitis affects about a third of people with the disease. With ulcerative proctitis, inflammation of the intestine occurs only in the rectum (which is the last part of the large intestine). This disease usually affects less than 6 inches of the rectum, and symptoms of ulcerative proctitis usually include rectal pain, rectal bleeding, and a sudden urge to defecate. Ulcerative proctitis is not associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Colitis on the left side
This type of ulcerative colitis can cause inflammation anywhere from the rectum to the splenic curvature of the colon (the curvature near the spleen). This condition includes proctosigmoiditis, which affects the rectum and the sigmoid colon (which is the lower part of the colon above the rectum).
This condition can cause loss of appetite, weight loss, pain in the left side of the abdomen, or bloody diarrhea .
severe colitis
Severe pancolitis affects the entire colon . The inflammation begins in the rectum and bypasses the splenic curvature. Symptoms of severe colitis may include the following: bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, decreased appetite and weight loss, fever, and convulsions.
Causes of ulcerative colitis
Researchers believe that ulcerative colitis may be the result of an overactive immune system. However, it is not clear why some immune systems respond by attacking the large intestine and not others.
Other causes of ulcerative colitis may include:
Genes, where a person may inherit genes from one of the parents, which increases the chance of developing the disease.
Other immune disorders, since if a patient has one type of immune disorder, his chance of developing a second type is higher.
Environmental factors. Bacteria, viruses, and antigens may trigger a person's immune system.
Symptoms of ulcerative colitis
The severity of ulcerative colitis symptoms varies between people who have it, and symptoms can change over time. People with ulcerative colitis may have periods of mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, symptoms can then return and be severe.
The main symptoms of ulcerative colitis include:
- Diarrhea containing mucus and blood.
- Abdominal pain and cramps.
- Pain when excreting.
- proctitis.
- Fever.
- Weight loss.
- exhaustion.
- Anemia.
- Constipation.
- For more: Causes of blood in stool
Ulcerative colitis may also cause additional conditions, such as:
- Joint pain.
- joint swelling
- Nausea and decreased appetite.
- Skin problems.
- mouth ulcers
- Eye infection.
How is ulcerative colitis diagnosed?
In diagnosing ulcerative colitis , the doctor relies on the following:
- Symptoms and signs experienced by the patient.
- Take the patient's medical and family history.
- Colonoscopy .
- Take a biopsy of the colon.
- X-ray imaging.
- Take a stool sample to check for blood, bacteria, or parasites.
- Carrying out specialized antibody tests.
Blood tests such as a complete blood count test, which detects signs of anemia and low blood cell counts, can also be helpful. Several other tests may also be performed that indicate the presence of inflammation , such as sedimentation levels test, and C-reactive protein level test.
Ulcerative colitis treatment
Ulcerative colitis treatment includes :
- Taking compensatory fluids instead of those lost by the patient through diarrhea.
- Take medications from the aminosalicylate group, such as meselazine and sulfasalazine, which the doctor may recommend in mild cases.
- Take anti-inflammatory drugs from the corticosteroid family, such as Prednisolone, which the doctor may recommend in more severe cases.
- Use of immunosuppressive drugs , such as azathioprine or cyclophosphamide .
- Probiotics, which your doctor may recommend, are pills that contain the normal bacteria in your intestines.
- The doctor may also recommend pain relievers, or the doctor may perform surgery for people whose inflammation has not improved despite receiving treatment.
Tips for living with ulcerative colitis
The following steps can be taken to live with ulcerative colitis :
- Make sure to eat a balanced diet that contains fiber and is rich in iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 to prevent or treat anemia.
- Playing sports.
- Reducing stress and anxiety.
How can ulcerative colitis be prevented?
There is no strong evidence to suggest that what a patient eats affects ulcerative colitis, but we may find that certain foods aggravate symptoms when an attack occurs.
Practices that may help keep ulcerative colitis symptoms from worsening include:
- Drink small amounts of water throughout the day.
- Eat smaller meals throughout the day.
- Limit your intake of high-fiber foods.
- Avoid fatty foods.
- Reduce milk intake if the patient is lactose intolerant.
Complications of ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis increases the risk of colon cancer . The longer a patient has the disease, the greater the risk of developing this cancer. Because of this increased risk, your doctor will perform a colonoscopy and check for cancer at diagnosis.
Other complications of ulcerative colitis may include any of the following:
- Intestinal wall thickness.
- Sepsis or blood infection.
- severe dehydration
- Toxic megacolon .
- Liver disease.
- intestinal bleeding
- kidney stones.
- Inflammation of the skin, joints, and eyes.
- Colon rupture.
- Ankylosing spondylitis, which involves inflammation of the joints between the bones of the spine.
What is the course of ulcerative colitis?
The prognosis for ulcerative colitis is good, so that when the patient takes his medication, the rate of recurrence of symptoms is low. But if the patient did not take his medication, 50% of patients suffer from a return of symptoms during the first year after stopping the medication.
Sources and references
(1) Colin Tidy. Ulcerative Colitis. Retrieved on the 16th of September, 2021, from:
https://patient.info/digestive-health/inflammatory-bowel-disease/ulcerative-colitis
(2) Valencia Higuera. What Is Ulcerative Colitis? Retrieved on the 16th of September, 2021, from:
https://www.healthline.com/health/ulcerative-colitis
(3) National Health System (NHS). Ulcerative colitis. Retrieved on the 16th of September, 2021, from:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ulcerative-colitis/
(4) WebMD. Types of Ulcerative Colitis. Retrieved on the 16th of September, 2021, from:
https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/ulcerative-colitis/ulcerative-colitis-types