Ulcerative colitis causes significant digestive upset and requires medical intervention. Fortunately, you can learn everything you need to know about ulcerative colitis with a search online right now, which could help you spot early symptoms.
This condition exists within the larger group of ailments known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Early detection plays a key role in treatment. If ulcerative colitis is affecting your life, find out what you can do about it!
Signs and Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis
The early signs of ulcerative colitis are diarrhea, abdominal cramping, nausea, tiredness, weight loss, and anemia, says WebMD. 1 As the condition progresses, these will get worse over time.
Later symptoms include blood, mucus or pus in the bowel movements, severe cramping, fever, skin rashes, mouth sores, joint pain, red, painful eyes, liver disease, and loss of fluids and nutrients. The source notes that children with ulcerative colitis might experience delayed or poor growth. Parents should be diligent about reporting all symptoms as ulcerative colitis can mimic other conditions.
Treatment: Diet
Unfortunately there is no cure for ulcerative colitis, but there are treatments that can help ease inflammation and better manage the symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, treatment is unique to each person as it depends on the severity of their condition. 2 Most people need a combination of diet changes, medication, and in extreme cases surgery.
Everyone with ulcerative colitis should aim to eat lots of fiber, lean protein, fruits, and vegetables to consume enough fiber nutrients and vitamins, adds the source.
Treatment: Medication
The objective of medications, like Stelara, is to initiate and sustain remission, along with enhancing the quality of life for those with ulcerative colitis. Medical practitioners utilize various types of drugs to alleviate inflammation in the large intestine. Diminishing the inflammation and irritation facilitates tissue healing and mitigates symptoms such as pain and diarrhea.
Treatment: Surgery
In the case that other treatments are ineffective or ulcerative colitis becomes severe, surgery may be necessary to remove either your colon (colectomy) or both colon and rectum (proctocolectomy), explains WebMD.
If a proctocolectomy is necessary, your physician may construct a small pouch from your small intestine to create a new rectum. According to the source, this procedure is known as ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) and it enables the body to eliminate waste naturally which means there will be no need for a stool collection bag.
