Early Signs and Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that currently effects more than 750,000 Americans. Since it is a chronic disease, ulcerative colitis is a life-long disorder with symptoms that fluctuate in severity throughout a person’s life, which can include long periods of remission where a patient experiences little or no symptoms. When flare-ups are severe, ulcerative colitis can dramatically impact quality of life and result in hospitalization.

What Is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune condition that occurs in the large intestine and usually originates in the lower colon or rectum. As a result of an affected person’s overactive immune response, inflammation and sores develop in the inner lining of the gut. This can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including abdominal pain and abnormal bowel movements.

Types of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis can be categorized into three main types, depending on which area of the large intestine is affected. The three types of ulcerative colitis are:

• Ulcerative proctitis – where inflammation is limited to the rectum.
• Left-sided colitis – more severe, this type of colitis starts in the rectum, effecting the entire area between the rectum and a bend in the colon located next to the spleen.
• Extensive colitis – the most severe type of ulcerative colitis, where inflammation occurs throughout the entire colon.

Known Causes and Risk Factors

Inflammatory bowel diseases are known to be caused by a combination of genetic factors, environmental factors, and the immune system. Around 70 percent of the cells that make up the body’s immune system can be found in the wall of the intestine. In an unaffected person, these immune cells serve to protect the body from harmful foreign invaders, such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Ulcerative colitis occurs when these immune cells become over-stimulated to the degree that they damage the lining of the gut.

Genetics are thought to influence a person’s risk of developing ulcerative colitis. One study demonstrated that people who have two parents affected by inflammatory bowel diseases have a 36 percent greater chance of getting the disease themselves.

The following environmental factors are also ulcerative colitis risk factors:

• Smoking
• Heavy use of antibiotics
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Appendicitis
• Poor diet or food intolerances

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of ulcerative colitis vary from patient to patient, though they often include:

• Blood in the stool
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Increased frequency of bowel movements
• Urgent need to have a bowel movement
• Inability to have a bowel movement
• Unexplained weight loss
• Tiredness
• Anemia

Treatment Options

Due to the wide variety of symptoms and fluctuating severity levels associated with ulcerative colitis, treatment is always tailored to an individual patient’s needs. Typically, medication will be used to control the symptoms of the disease. Common ulcerative colitis treatment options are:

• Aminosalicylates: Anti-inflammatory drugs used to decrease and hold off inflammation in the walls of the intestine.
• Corticosteroids: Block the body’s inflammatory immune response.
• Immunomodulators: Regulate the body’s immune response to reduce autoimmune activity.
• Biological therapies: A range of newly developed treatments designed to modulate immunity by blocking white blood cell activity.
• Surgery: It’s estimated that up to one third of people with ulcerative colitis will eventually need surgery to remove the affected area of the bowel.

Though chronic, ulcerative colitis can be managed. If you have been suffering from any of the above-mentioned symptoms, speak to your doctor about possible lifestyle changes and treatment options.