Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms: Helpful Information and Advice on Treatments

 
 
 
 
 
 

Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms...

Hello, I'm Barbara. The information provided on this website will help you to identify the symptoms of ulcerative colitis and to learn more about this autoimmune bowel disease and it's treatments. If you're short of time and looking for a solution to cure ulcerative colitis naturally, I recommend you visit our review on treatments for ulcerative colitis by clicking here.

Alternatively, read on and learn more about ulcerative colitis symptoms...
 
 
     

5 Common Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic disease affecting the colon. The distinctcharacteristic of it is abnormal movement of the bowel, wherein it becomes hyperactive and persistent. The inflammation of the parts of the colon precipitates the ulcerative colitis symptoms and is known to be adriven by auto-immune, where our body’s defense system malfunctions and attacks the colon.

Ulcerative colitis symptoms may vary from person to person, depending on the severity of the disease. While some will consider the disease to be mild and tolerable, there are others, who may develop the disease abruptly and experience the worst symptoms.

The following are 5 common symptoms of ulcerative colitis which can be similar to other bowel diseases. So it is always best to undergo tests in laboratory and x-rays to confirm that what you may be experiencing is an ulcerative colitis symptom or not.

1. Persistent Diarrhea (with Blood and Mucus)

The kind of diarrhea being experienced in ulcerative colitis is usually persistent and intermittent and always has blood or mucus. The symptom may be absent for quite some time and then come back again on another day or two.

The blood in the watery stools should always be checked, since there are also bloody stools that are caused by hemorrhoids and not colitis. One can know that it’s ulcerative colitis when the blood present in the stools is thick and not bright red in color (fresh blood).

2. Pain in the Left Side of the Abdomen

The kind of abdominal pain being experienced by people affected with the disease describes it as like “cramps” which causes hyperactivity in the stomach. It is felt in the left side of the abdomen, since based in the anatomy, the path from rectum up to the upper colon is located in that area.

Ulcerative colitis usually starts in the rectum, and if left untreated, it can go upwards, affecting the entire colon. The pain will subside after releasing bowels.

3. High Grade or Low Grade Fever

One of the primary causes of fever is inflammation and infection. When parts of the body get inflamed, the body’s defense system will become active leading toproduction of cells causing flushes and high body temperatures.

Ulcerative Colitis in acute phase will often cause the person to experience high fever especially on the afternoon and at the middle of the night. Others, who experience the disease in a gradual manner, will have low grade fever that may become persistent.

4. Gradual or Abrupt Weight Loss

Since watery stools and persistent diarrhea is one of the common colitis symptoms, losing water in the body along with the nutrients is inevitable, leading to weight loss. In this case, though gaining weight again can be hard to achieve, it is important to keep the affected individual hydrated by providing adequate amount of fluids.

5. Nausea and Vomiting

The pain which can be intolerable for some people, who have low pain threshold, will experience nausea and vomiting. When the body loses considerable amount of fluid, it causes hypotension (low blood pressure), leading to dizziness which exacerbates vomiting.

There may also be symptoms that don’t originate in the colon or rectum which can indicate ulcerative colitis. This can be iritis or eye inflammation accompanied by redness, pain in the joints like in elbows, knees, ankles as well as wrists, mouth sores and skin eruptions - all are resulted from the hyperactivity of the immune system.

Although this disease has no known cure, the ulcerative colitis symptoms can be treated through surgeries, diet modification, as well as taking medication that is used to suppress the activity of the immune system like steroids. By following the medical advices from expert physicians, a person can achieve quality life despite the presence of the disease.


 
 

What is Ulcerative Colitis? - Facts about Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis is an autoimmune bowel disease that originates in the colon. It is characterized by colitis symptoms like persistent release of watery stools (usually with blood as well as mucus), about 3 to 4 times a day, depending on the severity of the problem. When the immune system attacks the colon, it can cause inflammation and swelling on the rectum, ascending towards the colon, forming sores and ulcers.

This phenomenon will lead to abdominal discomfort and pain which is intermittent and will only subside after a bowel movement. Ulcerative Colitis can be similar to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Crohn’s disease however, these two are not severe as colitis. Colitis symptoms will usually occur and worsen during winter where cold temperature stimulates the digestive system’s hyperactivity.

What are the Symptoms to watch out for?

• Watery stools mixed with blood and mucus – People experiencing the disease will complain of excreting watery stools that contain thick blood and mucus.

• Persistent Diarrhea – Depending on the extent of the inflammation, diarrhea will occur almost every day or every other day. Approximately, an affected person will excrete loose watery stools for about 4 times a day.

• Cramp-like abdominal pain – In acute phase, pain will usually occur on the left side but if the inflammation already reached the entire colon, the pain in abdomen will be generalized.

• Fever – Fever is always present when inflammation and infection takes place and it’s one of the common symptoms of ulcerative colitis. It is a work of the body’s defenses, signaling you that there’s something wrong in your system. More often, ulcerative colitis patients will experience high fever during acute phase, and low grade, persistentfever when the progression of the disease is gradual.

What Causes Ulcerative Colitis?

The root causes of ulcerative colitis are still unknown as of now. However, experts have found several factors for a person to acquire the disease along with the reasons of the exacerbation of the symptoms.

• Hereditary Factor - Genes play a significant role in acquiring ulcerative colitis. If a parent suffers from the said disease, there is a great probability that it can be passed to his/her child and develop the same symptoms. The fault can be found on the chromosomes of the genes like 1, 3, 6, 12, 14, 16, and 19.

• Malfunctioning of the Immune system - A seemingly healthy individual can have the disease any time of their life.There will be instances that the disease occurs not due to external factors but what’s inside the body. When the immune system works abnormally, it will attack the vital organs of the body, and this includes the colon.

• Faulty Eating Habits - Another factor of acquiring the disease according to studies is the diet. People consuming lesser amounts of dietary fiber will have the tendency todevelop ulcerative colitis.

What are the treatments Available?

In the field of medical practice, there is no known cure for the disease but treatment for ulcerative colitis which aims to control the exacerbation of the symptoms have now been developed, thus improving the quality of life.

• Immunosuppressant medications – Since we are dealing with inflammation and swelling (from the attacks of the immune system), immunosuppressant are very helpful in calming the immune system from attacking the colon. These include the prednisone, steroids, prednisolone and more. However, it is advised that it should be taken on a certain time frame and avoid being dependent of it as it affects the chemistry of body, especially to hormones.

• Ulcerative Colitis Surgery – In an aim to cure the disease permanently, colectomy or removal of the entire colon is the best alternative. This is an optional ulcerative colitis surgery procedure for some however, in emergency cases like profuse bleeding, cancerous lesions, as well as perforation of the organ, this is required.Although it can help a person get rid of the disease, it may alter the quality of life since they need to adjust to another alternative of excretion which is through colostomy.

• Diet Modification – Ulcerative colitis diet may include eliminating hard to digest animal meat and fats, and taking in more foods high in dietary fiber. One example of foods high in fiber: fruits, green leafy vegetables and oatmeal.

Ulcerative Colitis, although it’s not life – threatening, if left untreated may reduce the quality of a person’s life. It is wise to always go for a natural ulcerative colitis treatment when you experience the common symptoms of the disease. Then ulcerative colitis will most likely diminish very soon.