Introduction
Colitis (also called ulcerative colitis) is an acute or chronic inflammation of the membrane lining the colon (your large intestine or bowels) producing sores, called ulcers, in the top layers of the lining of the large intestine. It can be recognized using flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. In both of these tests, a flexible tube is inserted in the rectum, and specific areas of the colon are tested. Colitis may be acute (lasting only a few days) or chronic(lasting weeks or even many months) and may result in bleeding, ulceration, perforation (a hole in the colon). It is best managed when its cause has been determine and a specific treatment can be utilized.
Symptoms
Symptoms may encompass abdominal pain, diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal bloating, increased intestinal gas, and bloody stools and can return in up to 20% of people with this disorder, thus requiring treatment with antibiotics to be repeated. Colitis can be tough to identify because its symptoms are similar to other intestinal problems such as ibs and Crohn disease (also called Crohn's disease). The two most common symptoms are abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. About 1/2 of the people diagnosed with the disease have mild signs. It is not caused by emotional distress or sensitivity to a particular food or a particular food product, but these factors might trigger symptoms in some people. The stress of living with colitis may also contribute to a worsening of symptoms. A number people have remissions periods when the symptoms go away and stay away for months or even years. Occasionally, symptoms are severe enough that a person has to be hospitalized.
Treatment
Treatment for colitis depends on the severity of the disease and normally starts with prescription anti-inflammatory medications, such as mesalamine (Rowasa or Canasa) and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), in order to decrease swelling. Treatment may also include taking nutritional supplements to restore normal growth and sexual development in children and teens. Therapy is aimed at the basic cause of the disease, whether it be infection, inflammation, lack of blood flow, or other causes. The aim is to control the inflammation, reduce symptoms, and replace any lost fluids and nutrients. Treatment can vary depending upon which areas of the colon are involved. Each person experiences colitis differently, so treatment is adjusted for each individual. Sometimes the physician will recommend removing the colon if medical treatment is ineffective or if the side effects of corticosteroids or other drugs threaten the patients health.
If you are already under treatment for inflammatory bowel disease or IBS, contact your MD if you experience any prolonged changes or pass blood in your stools. Also see your MD if you have any of these problems: Diarrhea lasting more than three days, Severe abdominal or rectal pain, Signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, anxiety or restlessness, excessive thirst, little or no urinating, Frequent loose bowel movements during pregnancy, More than 1 other person who shared food with you who has symptoms like yours, for example abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea, Blood or mucus in your stool, Progressively looser bowel movements, Fever with diarrhea, Pain moving from the area around your belly to your right lower abdomen. You should go to the hospital's Emergency Department for any of these reasons: Abdominal pain with fever, Severe acute attacks in people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, Signs of dehydration in an old or very young person, Progression or appearance of new signs over a few hours, Blood in your stool along with fever and loose bowel movements. Your MD will consider the possible causes of your colitis and any complications that require urgent treatment.
Conclusion
Colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine that can be brought on by many different disease processes and is generally found in younger people, before they reach age 30. Up to two million citizens in the US are estimated to have either ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease. Jewish people tend to have more incidences of the disease than non-Jewish people. It affects both men and women equally and appears to run in families, with reports of up to 20% of people with the disease having a family member or relative with ulcerative colitis or Crohns disease. Along with people of Jewish descent a higher incidence is also diagnose in Whites. People with this disease often have abnormalities of the immune system, but MDs do not know whether these abnormalities are a cause or a result of having the disease.
Many tests are utilized to diagnose the disease. A colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy are the most accurate tests for making a diagnosis and ruling out other possible conditions, such as Crohns disease, diverticular disease, or cancer. Sometimes x rays using a barium enema or CT scans are also used to diagnose colitis or its complications. There's no proven cure for it, but therapies are available that may dramatically lessen the signs and symptoms and even bring about a long-term remission. Your MD will decide which tests you need based on your signs, medical history, and clinical findings.
Colitis (also called ulcerative colitis) is an acute or chronic inflammation of the membrane lining the colon (your large intestine or bowels) producing sores, called ulcers, in the top layers of the lining of the large intestine. It can be recognized using flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. In both of these tests, a flexible tube is inserted in the rectum, and specific areas of the colon are tested. Colitis may be acute (lasting only a few days) or chronic(lasting weeks or even many months) and may result in bleeding, ulceration, perforation (a hole in the colon). It is best managed when its cause has been determine and a specific treatment can be utilized.
Symptoms
Symptoms may encompass abdominal pain, diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal bloating, increased intestinal gas, and bloody stools and can return in up to 20% of people with this disorder, thus requiring treatment with antibiotics to be repeated. Colitis can be tough to identify because its symptoms are similar to other intestinal problems such as ibs and Crohn disease (also called Crohn's disease). The two most common symptoms are abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. About 1/2 of the people diagnosed with the disease have mild signs. It is not caused by emotional distress or sensitivity to a particular food or a particular food product, but these factors might trigger symptoms in some people. The stress of living with colitis may also contribute to a worsening of symptoms. A number people have remissions periods when the symptoms go away and stay away for months or even years. Occasionally, symptoms are severe enough that a person has to be hospitalized.
Treatment
Treatment for colitis depends on the severity of the disease and normally starts with prescription anti-inflammatory medications, such as mesalamine (Rowasa or Canasa) and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), in order to decrease swelling. Treatment may also include taking nutritional supplements to restore normal growth and sexual development in children and teens. Therapy is aimed at the basic cause of the disease, whether it be infection, inflammation, lack of blood flow, or other causes. The aim is to control the inflammation, reduce symptoms, and replace any lost fluids and nutrients. Treatment can vary depending upon which areas of the colon are involved. Each person experiences colitis differently, so treatment is adjusted for each individual. Sometimes the physician will recommend removing the colon if medical treatment is ineffective or if the side effects of corticosteroids or other drugs threaten the patients health.
If you are already under treatment for inflammatory bowel disease or IBS, contact your MD if you experience any prolonged changes or pass blood in your stools. Also see your MD if you have any of these problems: Diarrhea lasting more than three days, Severe abdominal or rectal pain, Signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, anxiety or restlessness, excessive thirst, little or no urinating, Frequent loose bowel movements during pregnancy, More than 1 other person who shared food with you who has symptoms like yours, for example abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea, Blood or mucus in your stool, Progressively looser bowel movements, Fever with diarrhea, Pain moving from the area around your belly to your right lower abdomen. You should go to the hospital's Emergency Department for any of these reasons: Abdominal pain with fever, Severe acute attacks in people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, Signs of dehydration in an old or very young person, Progression or appearance of new signs over a few hours, Blood in your stool along with fever and loose bowel movements. Your MD will consider the possible causes of your colitis and any complications that require urgent treatment.
Conclusion
Colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine that can be brought on by many different disease processes and is generally found in younger people, before they reach age 30. Up to two million citizens in the US are estimated to have either ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease. Jewish people tend to have more incidences of the disease than non-Jewish people. It affects both men and women equally and appears to run in families, with reports of up to 20% of people with the disease having a family member or relative with ulcerative colitis or Crohns disease. Along with people of Jewish descent a higher incidence is also diagnose in Whites. People with this disease often have abnormalities of the immune system, but MDs do not know whether these abnormalities are a cause or a result of having the disease.
Many tests are utilized to diagnose the disease. A colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy are the most accurate tests for making a diagnosis and ruling out other possible conditions, such as Crohns disease, diverticular disease, or cancer. Sometimes x rays using a barium enema or CT scans are also used to diagnose colitis or its complications. There's no proven cure for it, but therapies are available that may dramatically lessen the signs and symptoms and even bring about a long-term remission. Your MD will decide which tests you need based on your signs, medical history, and clinical findings.
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