Ulcerative Colitis: Causes, Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

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Ulcerative Colitis: Causes, Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

 

Ulcerative colitis is a gastric condition that is not very common to happen in individuals. UC is precisely an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that generates ulcers (sores) in the digestive tract. In the main area of the innermost lining of the large intestine - colon and rectum. 

It has many common symptoms that can easily help you indicate this problem. But the main problem lies in many individuals' symptoms showing up at different times. Some have early symptoms, and some got delayed symptoms.

UC, if diagnosed early, can be treated normally and it won't be that painful. Somehow if it shows up late, then it's hard to treat it normally, and it can create life-threatening complications too. 

The latest medical research has developed a few advanced treatments for ulcerative colitis, but still, it has no permanent cure. Here let's dig into the symptoms of UC.

 

Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms


There are many common signs and symptoms. Ulcerative Colitis signs can vary from individual to individual and depend on the severity of the inflammation. Here are some signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis.

 

Diarrhea


In this condition, you feel nauseatic and throw up vomits with blood or pus.

 

Rectal bleeding 


In rectal bleeding where you may pass a small amount of blood with stool or urine. This can be with rectal pain.

 

Abdominal Pain


You feel excruciating pain in the lower abdominal area and severe cramps. It indicates many other health issues, but if it comes along with the above-mentioned signs and symptoms, it is ulcerative colitis.

 

Urgency to Excrete 


You feel more often to pass stool in less than one hour. Stool passing can also be painful. Somehow, you also may feel the Inability to defecate despite the urgency, along with lower abdominal pain.

 

Weight Loss


Diarrhea and other symptoms, such as passing stool more often and lower abdominal pain, can distort your desire to eat or healthy hunger. That makes you lose body weight. The more weight you lose, the harder it will be for your immune system to fight.

 

Fatigue


In this sign, your body feels exhausted and has a high fever. This may remain with you for more than a week or two.

 

Ulcerative Colitis Causes


Somehow, the identification of ulcerative colitis remains unknown and is still under medical research. After the previous medical research, the most common suspects were stress and diet, but later on, the concept and study were diminished. 

Here are some of the possible causes of ulcerative Colitis

 

Weak Immune System 


The weak immune system messes up your stomach, mainly the large intestines with the rectum and colon. This is when your immunity to hold the bacteria affecting your inner stomach linings fades away, and multiple viruses start attacking. Somehow the irregular and weak immune response also causes the immune system to attack the cells in the digestive tract.

 

Genetic 


Heredity or genetic makeup can also be the core reason for ulcerative colitis. In many cases, one or two of the family members - generations apart diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. However, It is still not safe to say that this is the core cause of UC in all cases since most people with ulcerative colitis don't have this family history.

 

Ulcerative Colitis Diagnosis


There are some advanced ways to prevent Ulcerative Colitis. Here we have compiled the list of them.

 

Endoscopic Procedures


This procedure with tissue biopsy is considered the only way to diagnose ulcerative colitis. Anyhow, other tests are available that also help cover the complications and other forms of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease. Furthermore, To help in the confirmation of a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, you may have one or more of the following tests and procedures:

  • Colonoscopy. This test will provide a larger view of your entire colon using a thin tube with a camera. The main purpose of doing this is to take the tissues for the tissue biopsy.


 

  • Sigmoidoscopy. The same procedure works here as the thin tube is passed into your colon - rectum, more precisely - the lower end of your colon. This test may be run instead of a full colonoscopy if your colon is fully inflamed.


 

Medical Lab tests



  • Blood tests. This is one common test that your doctor may ask you to go for just to check the anemia and any signs of blood infection. 

  • Stool test. In this test, the stool sample is taken for study and to check the viruses and parasites present in it.


 

Ulcerative Colitis Treatment


There are several ways to fight with Ulcerative Colitis. All treatments vary and be done once the severity of your condition is diagnosed. As there are medicinal treatments that can suppress the pain for a good amount of time, but it remains a temporary procedure. 

Plus, the second is surgery which counts as a permanent procedure but comes with many complications. Here are the treatments that can help in covering UC.

  • Anti-inflammatory medicines



  • Immune system Suppressors



  • Anti-diarrheal medications



  • Biologics (Protein therapies)



  • Surgery



  • Cancer surveillance


 

Conclusion


Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory health issue that happens in large intestines. There are not many known medical studies that support the causes, and hence they are still under research. The above-mentioned tests and treatments can help alleviate the symptoms and pain for a period of time. 

If you feel any pain of inconvenience in passing stool or having cramps in your lower abdominal area, it is important to talk to your doctor. You can also take our online doctors consultation for more convenience.