Do I Have
Ulcerative Colitis?
If you are experiencing belly pains and cramps, or even
bleeding from the rectum then you could be suffering from ulcerative
colitis. Within the medical community, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's
disease are the most commonly diagnosed types of inflammatory bowel
disease – or IBS. Ulcerative colitis only affects the colon and rectum
while Crohn's disease may affect any part of the body's digestive tract.
Ulcerative colitis is a disease which causes inflammation and sores –
also known as ulcers – that will manifest and grow within the lining of
the large intestine or colon. Ulcerative colitis usually affects the
lower section known as the sigmoid colon as well as the rectum. However,
it should be known that it can affect the entire colon. For the most
part, the more of the colon that is affected then the worse the physical
symptoms will be for the patient.
Ulcerative colitis affects people from any age
group but most people who have ulcerative colitis are usually diagnosed
by their physician before the age of 30. For the most part, experts and
researchers are not sure what causes ulcerative colitis in the human
bowels. They believe that it may be caused by the patient's immune
system overreacting to normal bacteria found in the digestive tract or
other kinds of bacteria and viruses within the digestive tract that may
be responsible and cause the disease.
Ulcerative colitis is not caused by stress, as
physicians have believed in the past. However, it should be kept in mind
that if you have ulcerative colitis that stress can make it even worse.
As a patient, you are more likely to develop ulcerative colitis if
other people in your family have it, which makes it genetic. The main
symptoms of ulcerative colitis are belly pain, cramps, bloody diarrhea,
an urgent need to have a bowel movement, and bleeding from the rectum.
In some patients they may also experience a fever or may not feel hungry
and may lose weight. In severe cases of ulcerative colitis the patient
may have diarrhea up to 20 times a day.
What are the Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis may also
cause other problems other than in the bowels such as joint pain,
eyesight problems and difficulties as well as liver disease. However, it
should be noted that these symptoms are more common in people that have
Crohn's disease. In most people, the symptoms of ulcerative colitis can
come and go. Many patients go for months – even years – without
experiencing symptoms as they have gone into remission. Then, out of
nowhere, the patient will experience a flare-up. Statistically about 10
out of 100 people that have ulcerative colitis experience symptoms
chronically and on a daily basis. Ulcerative colitis may sometimes lead
to more serious problems as it may cause the scarring of the bile duct.
This may lead to extensive liver damage and in rare cases of ulcerative
colitis severe diseases can cause the colon to swell to several times
its normal size which is known as toxic megacolon and can be deadly,
requiring emergency treatment.
Patients
that have ulcerative colitis for more
than 8 years have a greater chance of contracting colon cancer so it is
vitally important to speak with your doctor about the need for a cancer
screening. Screening tests can help detect cancer early and when it is
easier to treat. To diagnose ulcerative colitis, physicians may ask
about the symptoms the patient is experience as well as perform a
physical exam and run a number of diagnostic tests and screens. Testing
may help the physician rule out other diseases and conditions that can
cause similar symptoms such as Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, or
irritable bowel syndrome.
