Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative
colitis is a disease of the large intestine. It becomes ulcerated
which causes blood in diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
Ulcerative colitis may start at any age but most often it begins
before the age of thirty. The disease starts in the lower part of the
large intestine but will gradually cover the entire large intestine.
Oddly enough, it does not affect the small intestine.
The
symptoms are severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, inflammation of the
lining of the abdomen and high fever. During the attacks the person
is extremely sick and has a desire to defecate even after a heavy
bowel movement. The attacks may be sudden or could begin gradually.
When the disease is only in the lower part of the intestine the
symptoms are mild; however, the stools which are nearly normal will
still contain mucus and large amounts of red and white blood cells.
Because of the risk of colon cancer, frequent colonoscopy
examinations of the large intestine should be made. The examinations
should be made during periods when there are very little symptoms. To
establish the diagnosis requires an examination of the sigmoid and
blood tests. With the help of X-rays of the abdomen the severity of
the disease may be identified.
The
focus of treatment is to control inflammation, eliminate symptoms and
replace nutrients lost by the body because of the disease. Iron
supplements may offset anemia loss from the diarrhea, and a
dairy-free diet may relieve some of the symptoms. Raw fruits and
vegetables need to be eliminated to avoid injury to the lining of the
colon. Other nutrients lost can be replaced with a healthy diet and a
multivitamin supplement. Under the doctor's care, drugs can be given
for the inflammation and for reduction of symptoms. The doctor should
monitor the drugs closely for effectiveness and to avoid dangerous
side effects.
