Symptoms of ulcerative colitis

People with ulcerative colitis mainly suffer from frequent diarrhea and cramping. But these are not the only symptoms. What are the rest of the symptoms of this disease, its causes and methods of treatment?

In ulcerative colitis, the surface layers of the lining of the large intestine (mucous membrane) become inflamed, noting that the large intestine is also called the colon. Inflammation leads to ulcers in the colon, and the disease is usually chronic. Its severity and symptoms can vary greatly.

According to what Deutsche Welle quoted from the German "T Online" website, the symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis come in stages in the majority of patients.

Ulcerative colitis, colon, large intestine

Ulcerative colitis symptoms primarily affect the intestines. However, the disease can also be associated with some side effects in other body organs such as the skin, eyes or bile ducts.

At the onset of the disease, the last section of the colon is usually inflamed: the rectum. From there, the inflammation spreads to other parts of the colon. In individual cases, infections can spread to the last 10 to 20 centimeters of the small intestine, and here experts talk about "reverse ileitis."

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis

The website "T Online" says that the symptoms associated with the disease often come in stages, and the number of attacks resulting from infection and their severity varies from person to person.

Some patients do not have any distinct bulges, which are the most permanent symptoms. This is the case for approximately 5% of the infected. It is also possible for people to have one attack and then remain asymptomatic for a longer period of time.

The characteristic symptoms of ulcerative colitis are primarily bloody and/or mucosal diarrhoea. How often diarrhea occurs depends, among other things, on how active the inflammation is.

Patients also often suffer from abdominal pain, in many cases affecting the lower left part of the abdomen.

Other possible symptoms of ulcerative colitis include: a persistent urge to have a bowel movement, fever, weakness and fatigue, loss of appetite, bloating or feeling bloated.

Depending on its severity, other symptoms can also occur, such as tachycardia and weight loss. It can also disrupt normal growth and weight gain in children and teens. Chronic inflammation and severe blood loss can often lead to iron deficiency. Possible symptoms are pallor, fatigue and decreased performance.

There are also potential extra-intestinal side effects, which appear to be closely related to IBD, and nearly every organ can be affected, but the main ones are the liver, bile ducts, skin, eyes and/or joints.

Causes of ulcerative colitis

The exact reasons are not known. However, a complex interaction of various factors is assumed. They include genetic predisposition, food allergens, disorders of the body's immune system, infections, intestinal microbes and other environmental factors.

ulcerative colitis treatment

The treatment of ulcerative colitis depends on their condition, the severity of the inflammation, and how the disease has spread. For example, a patient, who is only affected in the rectum and who has mild symptoms, will be treated differently than a patient with colitis who often experiences severe attacks of pain throughout the intestine.

There is a drug treatment and another non-drug. The drug depends on drugs in the form of tablets, and if the patient does not improve, he takes them intravenously, as well as taking immunosuppressants. However, this carries a risk of infection for the patient. Surgery may be required to remove the colon and connect the small intestine to the anus.

And from the non-pharmacological treatment, there is the resort to a nutrition counselor to find out the appropriate and harmful foods for the patient, and there is also psychological treatment in order to better deal with what he faces due to the disease, such as cases of frequent diarrhea and severe pain attacks.