Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a large bowel disorder that can recur after you control its symptoms. The large bowel or colon is a 6-foot long part of the intestinal tract, responsible for absorbing water from waste materials coming from the small intestine. At the end of the large bowel are the rectum and anus. The rectum is a reservoir that collects waste materials, while the anus is a muscular opening that relaxes to allow the rectum to push waste contents out of the body.

Ulcerative colitis refers to the development of inflammation, ulcers, or sores in the lining of the colon. This disease can affect the entire colon or only the rectum.

Causes

There are no known causes of ulcerative colitis. Experts believe that it may be a disorder in the immune system of the body. Some experts say that this disorder is due to unidentified microorganisms.

Who develops this disorder?

Although this health condition can develop in people of all ages and genders, it generally occurs in young adults.

Symptoms

Ulcerative colitis begins gradually and stays benign in the early stages. It shows symptoms like abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Its severe cases cause frequent diarrhea. It can also cause loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss. If the condition remains localized to the rectum only, the patient may feel frequent urges to move bowels and a small amount of blood in stools. There can be phases of flare-ups and remissions. In some cases, it may not show any symptoms at all.

Diagnosis

The doctor first looks at the symptoms to identify this disorder. He may recommend blood and stool tests to determine if your colon is inflamed. He may also perform colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy to examine the lining of the colon and rectum visually. During this exam, he may perform small, painless biopsies to collect samples from the inner lining of the colon.

Treatment

Several options are available to treat ulcerative colitis. Your doctor or surgeon will opt for a specific option depending on the stage and location of the inflammation in the large bowel.

• Your doctor may choose to give you steroids. A high dose will bring symptoms under control. When the issue subsides, the doctor will taper down the drug and stop it eventually. Since these drugs can have side effects, the doctor will want to discontinue them as soon as you recover from the illness.
• Your doctor can give you anti-inflammatory drugs to control the disease’s symptoms. These medications can be in the form of pills or solutions, which you might have to take through an enema. Some of those drugs include mesalamine, olsalazine, Pentasa, sulfasalazine, and balsalazide.
• If your doctor finds out that you have this condition due to an overactive immune system, he may choose to give you some drugs, including 6-MP, azathioprine, methotrexate, and cyclosporine. These drugs aim at inhibiting the hyperactivity of the immune system.

If the drug treatment remains unsuccessful, your doctor may refer you to a surgeon. A surgical procedure may involve removing the diseased part of the colon. It may result in a stoma on your belly, which means you will have to wear an ostomy bag over the stoma to manage your stool evacuations. For more details, you may want to speak to your doctor.