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Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation of the colon, which can spread from the lower part of the colon to where the large and small intestine joins.
Symptoms
Diarrhoea
Mucus and blood in stools
Cramps
Diagnosis
Inspection of the colon through colonoscopy, blood tests. Diet is not thought to cause the condition, so it should not be confused with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The disease is associated with dysfunction of the immune system.
Treatment
Steroids reduce the inflammation. If the lower part of the colon only is infected it can be treated with suppositories or enemas.
While there is no cure, medication can reverse the changes caused by colitis and return the lining of the colon to normal, but inflammation can recur at any time. Preventative medicines reduce the risk of inflammation recurring.
In more severe cases, patients may need to be treated with intravenous steroids and sometimes surgery, which provides a cure.
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