Facts About Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) that affects the large colon and rectum. Similar to another common IBD known as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that varies in the severity of symptoms and occasionally enters a period of remission. There are complications with ulcerative colitis including dehydration, osteoporosis, and severe bleeding among numerous others. These complications have the potential to be life-threatening at times. While there is no cure for ulcerative colitis there are treatment options such as drug therapy, nutrition and lifestyle modifications, as well as surgery when other treatments are not successful in managing the disease and its symptoms.

Accutane, a drug used to treat acne, has been linked to ulcerative colitis. Other risk factors are race, genetics and heredity, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen and naproxen. In regards to genetics and heredity, up to 20 percent of individuals with the disease have relatives who also have IBD.  The onset of ulcerative colitis for individuals is usually in their 30s and affects males and females equally. It appears that individuals diagnosed with ulcerative colitis have inappropriate immunological responses to foreign substances in the digestive tract causing inflammation.

There are numerous methods that a doctor can utilize to help with a diagnosis. An individual suffering from IBD symptoms may undergo blood tests, a barium enema, a colonoscopy, or CT scan depending on which procedure is most likely to help confirm a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis.

The specific type of ulcerative colitis that is diagnosed depends on the location of the inflammation in the colon. Symptoms can be mild or severe and consist of abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea or weight loss. These symptoms should be reported to a doctor for further investigation and diagnosis.  Furthermore, stress and lifestyle can positively or negatively impact the disease and its symptoms.

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