Ulcerative Colitis or Inflammation in the Small Intestine and Colon

Ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the general name for diseases that cause inflammation in the small intestine and colon.

What is Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is ulcers, small sores found in the inner lining of the rectum and colon. They are form when inflammation killed the cells that line the colon. The ulcers will bleed and produce pus.

The general name for diseases that cause inflammation in the small intestine and colon is called Ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

They can be difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are similar to Crohn’s disease, another type of intestinal disorder. But Crohn’s disease differs because it causes inflammation deep in the intestinal wall and can form in other parts of the digestive system including the small intestine, mouth, esophagus, and stomach.

Other type Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis with a similar condition is collectively called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

• Ulcerative proctitis - inflammation occurs in the rectum.

• Proctosigmoiditis - involves the rectum and the stigmoid colon.

• Pancolitis - the entire colon is affected

• Left-sided colitis or distal colitis - when only the left side of the colon is affected.

• Fulminant colitis - rare, life-threatening form of colitis that affects the entire colon.

What are the symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis?
The cause of ulcerative colitis and IBD in general are still unknown and the subject of continuous research.

Below are theories to what causes Ulcerative Colitis,
• Heredity

• Autoimmune disease

• Allergic response

• Combination of environmental factors

The possible cause of IBD could be the combination of one or more of the above theories.

None the less, the symptoms of ulcerative colitis include:
• Anemia

• Fatigue

• Weight loss

• Abdominal pain and cramps

• Rectal bleeding

• Blood tinted stool

• Diarrhea

• Fever

• Loss of appetite

• Mucus in the stool

• Ulceration of the large intestine

• Urgent need to relieve the bowel

• Loss of body fluids and nutrients

• Skin lesions

• Joint pain

The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis are abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea.

Who are risk factors to develop Ulcerative Colitis?
Risk factors may include:
• Age – people age between 15 years old to 30 years of age.

• Race or ethnicity - whites and people of Jewish descent.

• Family history – but the majority of people with IBD does not have family history of ulcerative colitis.

• Isotretinoin (Accutane) medication – there is no scientific proved to indicate that the use of this medication causes the development of inflammatory bowel disease.

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication – similiarly, these medications — ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), piroxicam (Feldene) and others, have not shown to cause ulcerative colitis or causing similar signs and symptoms.

Ulcerative colitis usually is not fatal but a serious disease. In some cases, it may cause life-threatening complications.

There are still no known cures for ulcerative colitis. Therapies are available that may dramatically reduce the signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis and could even bring about a long-term remission.