What Is Ulcerative Colitis?
An inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in which inflammation causes damage to the large intestine - the colon and rectum. It is a chronic disease without medical cure at the present time.
Types of Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative Proctitis
- Proctosigmoiditis
- Left-sided Colitis
- Pan-ulcerative Colitis
Symptoms
- Diarrhea
- Blood in the stool
- Abdominal Cramping
- False alarms of the rectum
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Mouth sores
- Joint pain
Causes
- Ulcerative colitis is a complex disease with many interacting causes:
- Genetics – inherited genes that increase the risk of ulcerative colitis
- Environmental triggers - intestinal infections, diet, stress and use of certain medications
- Abnormal immune system – glitches in the body's immune system make it react too strongly to the environmental triggers
Making the Diagnosis
- Stool tests
- Blood tests
- Colonoscopy with biopsies