Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the rectum and large intestine. As there is no known cause of this disease, it is important to learn the symptoms and recognize the signs if you feel that you may be affected by this disease. Generally, this disease may be treated with medication adjusted over time. However, if the disease persists and worsens, surgery may be an option. Therefore, learning about the symptoms will help to diagnose this disease early on and treat it before it worsens.

Commonly Experienced Symptoms

Common symptoms of ulcerative colitis may include bloody diarrhea, rectal bleeding and abdominal pain. However, there is a large variety of symptoms among patients with this disease. Variability of symptoms reflects differences in the spread of the disease (the amount of the rectum and colon that are inflamed) as well as how intense the inflammation is. Usually, patients that have inflammation that is confined to a very short segment of the colon and the rectum have more mild symptoms and a much better prognosis than those that have  more widespread inflammation within the colon. The different types of ulcerative colitis may be classified by the extent of the inflammation and the location.

Other Less Common Symptoms

While individuals with ulcerative colitis may experience pain and bleeding from the rectum, there are some people with ulcerative colitis who only remember having very mild symptoms. Some of the other less common symptoms that may be associated with ulcerative colitis include weight loss, poor appetite, urgently needing to use the restroom, poor growth (in children), cramps, and nausea. It is important that if you notice any of these symptoms,  you should talk with your healthcare provider or Los Angeles colorectal physician as this could be a sign that you have ulcerative colitis and treatment may be more effective if you catch it early.

Symptoms outside the Digestive System

Nearly half of the people diagnosed with ulcerative colitis experience only mild symptoms. However, it’s not just the digestive system that will show these symptoms, as other areas of the body may also manifest symptoms as well. Ulcerative colitis has been known to cause problems such as osteoporosis, joint pain, skin sores, liver disease, fatigue, inflammation of the eye, anemia, arthritis, as well as frequent fevers. Doctors have not found an answer to this, however scientists believe that these effects might be a result of inflammation triggered by the body’s immune system.

Be Proactive and Seek the Help of a Medical Professional

After you have been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, you will be given medication to help decrease inflammation and help minimize the spread of deleterious bacteria. Therefore, seeking the help of a nutritionist is worth thinking about in helping you select foods that will improve your health while continuing a medical regimen prescribed by your doctor. You should never try to create your own nutritional and medical plan as keeping your health optimized will be more difficult if you don’t have a proven plan and a method for keeping yourself on track.