Colitis is inflammation of the tissue that lines the colon.
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a form ofinflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Ulcerative colitis is most often diagnosed in young adults and does not have a cure.
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Its not known what causes ulcerative colitis.
There are over 200 genes that may be associated with the development of IBD.
There are several medications available to treat ulcerative colitis.
Medications include 5-aminosalicylic acid, biologics, steroids, and immunomodulators.
Lifestyle changes and complementary therapies may also be tried.
These can include changing your diet, exercising, taking supplements, and tryingacupuncture.
Ulcerative Proctitis
In this form of ulcerative colitis, it is the rectum that is inflamed.
Studies have revealed that about 30% of people with ulcerative colitis are diagnosed with ulcerative proctitis.
However, as many as 10% of people with this form may also experienceconstipation.
Left-Sided Colitis
This is the most commonly diagnosed form of ulcerative colitis.
Pancolitis
When inflammation is found throughout the colon, it is called pancolitis.
Women tend to be diagnosed three times as often as men.
It also is more common in people over the age of 65.
Unlike ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis does not cause blood in the stool.
The inside of the colon looks normal or near normal in a colonoscopy.
Some people with this condition find they need to wake up and move their bowels at night.
Weight loss and abdominal pain are also common.
There are two subtypes of microscopic colitis: lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis.
For diagnosis and treatment, a distinction may not be made between the two forms.
Treatment could include aminosalicylates, bismuth subsalicylate, steroids, or immune-modifying drugs.
Patients may need to try a few different drugs to get relief from symptoms.
Treatment will also depend on the severity of the symptoms because some medications may have side effects.
Most often, pseudomembranous colitis occurs due to infection by a bacteria calledClostridioides difficile(C. difficile,orC.
The symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis include:
Finding the cause of pseudomembranous colitis is important in treating it.
For an infection withC.
diffthe treatment might be antibiotics.
This procedure infuses feces from a donor to restore the bacteria commonly found in the digestive tract.
Rebyota and Vowst are approved for the prevention of the recurrence ofC.
diffinfections in adults who have completed antibiotic treatment for recurrentC.
This condition can occur in people of any age but is most common in those over age 60.
Medications that treat blood clots may also be used.
For severe cases, surgery on the colon to remove any tissue that has died might be needed.
The only symptom thats usually found is blood in the stool.
This condition may result from a food allergy, but the cause is not well understood.
Tests such as endoscopy arent usually done but the diagnosis is based on the occurrence of bloody stools.
This includes removing foods from the breastfeeding parents diet.
Usually this begins with removing dairy products for several weeks and seeing if that makes any difference.
Other foods that commonly cause allergies might also be stopped if the bloody stools dont improve.
In some cases, a special formula might be recommended for feeding.
Diagnosis
The first step in making a diagnosis will be reviewing symptoms.
There may also be questions about family history, diet, and current medications.
Tests might be needed to discover the source of the symptoms.
These can include:
Summary
Colitis is inflammation of the colon.
Types include ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, pseudomembranous colitis, ischemic colitis, and allergic colitis.
Each throw in of colitis varies in its diagnostic process, causes, and treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Diet can be an important part of the treatment for colitis.
The goal should be eating a healthful diet that includes fruits and vegetables as soon as possible.
Sometimes.Colitis thats due to an infectionmight be contagious through thefecal-oral route.
Colitis that is triggered by medications, an immune-mediated condition, or an allergy is not contagious.
This is one more reason why its important to get blood in the stool diagnosed and treated promptly.
Colitis is a sign of disease.
Both ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease are forms of IBD.
Crohns disease may cause inflammation throughout the digestive system, while ulcerative colitis causes inflammation only in the colon.
Both conditions are not curable and require lifelong treatment.
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