What is ulcerative colitis?
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-standing disease that is also known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is a group of diseases that affects your large intestine. It occurs when the colon of your large intestine, rectum, or both gets inflamed.
Usually, it starts from the rectum and leads to upward direction. The inflammation occurs in the colon causes your bowel to move rapidly and empty frequently. The ulcer causes the bleeding and discharge of pus and mucus.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms may vary, depending on the seriousness of inflammation of infected area such as:
- Mouth ulcers
- Red and swollen skin
- Irritated red eyes
- Shortness of breath
- Irregular heart beat
- Loss of weight
- Diarrhea with the discharge of blood, mucus or pus
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Fatigue
- High Fever
- Urgency to defecate
Types
There are five types of ulcerative colitis:
1. Ulcerative proctitis - Inflammation occurs to the rectum of the large intestine, and small amount of bleeding passing in your stool is the only sign of the disease.
2. Proctosigmoiditis - Inflammation occurs in sigmoid colon and rectum. Signs and symptoms are abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, and an inability to move the bowels instead of having urge.
3. Left-sided colitis. Inflammation starts from rectum and go up to the sigmoid and descending colon causes abdominal cramping, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss.
4. Pancolitis - Often affects the colon entirely and causes intense bloody diarrhea, fatigue and notable weight loss.
5. Acute severe ulcerative colitis - This form of colitis found rarely in patients that infect the entire colon causes profuse diarrhea, severe pain, fever, bleeding and inability to eat.
When to see a doctor
Get in touch with your doctor if you observe a constant change in your bowel habit:
- Long-standing diarrhea that doesn't cured by the medications
- Abdominal pain
- Blood in your stool
- Long lasting fever
Causes
Till this day, the cause of the ulcerative colitis remains unknown.
Organizations such as the SIMS hospital can provide resources and support to help you live a full and healthy life with ulcerative colitis.
Blog Reviewed By: Dr Patta Radhakrishna
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