Inflammation in ulcerative colitis starts in your rectum and may spread to your colon. Symptoms may be constant or come and go. They include diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal cramping, anemia, and blood or pus in bowel movements. There isn't a cure for ulcerative colitis, but medications can help calm inflammation.
Abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea are the most common warning signs of UC, and can range from mild and intermittent to severe and chronic. The pain of UC is quite common and can significantly impact quality of life.
Those with mild ulcerative colitis are said to have less than four bowel movements each day with intermittent rectal bleeding. Moderate to severe ulcerative colitis is defined as passing more than six stools a day with frequent rectal bleeding.
Drink as much water as you can during a UC flare. Just keep in mind that there are some liquids you should think twice about if you have diarrhea, including pear, peach, or prune juice, according to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation; all of them contain nonabsorbable sugars that can be rough on your gut.
Sugary foods: Cakes, pastries, candy, and juices could trigger an ulcerative colitis flare-up. High fat foods: A person with ulcerative colitis should avoid high fat foods, such as butter, fatty meats, and coconut, and fatty, fried, or greasy foods. Spicy foods: These include hot sauces, chilies, and hot peppers.
A flare-up or relapse is when you feel unwell because your Crohn's or Colitis is not well controlled. You may have symptoms such as diarrhoea, an urgent need to use the toilet, fatigue (extreme tiredness) and tummy cramps.
Colitis causes physical damage to the colon, whereas IBS doesn't. In rare cases, a patient with colitis may also experience IBS symptoms. An IBS patient can develop digestive conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, while colitis patients often develop malabsorption and anemia.
Where do people feel ulcerative colitis pain? Ulcerative colitis (UC) involves inflammation of the lining of the large intestine. People with UC tend to experience pain in the left side of the abdomen or in the rectum. The severity and frequency of pain vary depending on the extent of the inflammation.
Most of the time, the cause of colitis is not known. Causes of colitis include: Infections caused by a virus or a parasite. Food poisoning due to bacteria.
Ulcerative colitis is what experts call a relapsing and remitting disease. This means symptoms come and go over time. There may be months or even years when you won't have any symptoms at all.
If ulcerative colitis remains untreated, the inflammation can spread to the deeper layers of your colon and result in a very dangerous complication called toxic megacolon. This condition can lead to life-threatening infections, kidney failure, or a colon rupture and needs to be treated immediately.
What tests do doctors use to diagnose ulcerative colitis? Doctors may use blood tests, stool tests, and endoscopy of the large intestine to diagnose ulcerative colitis.
According to research by the British organization Crohn's & Colitis UK, people with IBD often describe their tiredness with phrases such as “brain fog,” “zombie mode,” or “overwhelming heaviness” or feeling “woozy or fuzzy” or “completely wiped out.”
Fatigue is a common feature of Crohn's and Colitis but is not often talked about. Fatigue affects around 7 in 10 people when they have active inflammation from their Crohn's or Colitis (in a flare-up). Fatigue affects around 4 in 10 people when their Crohn's or Colitis is not active (in remission).
Plus, yogurt is a good source of calcium and probiotics — two nutrients that are crucial for those with ulcerative colitis. In fact, The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation cites calcium as one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies in those with IBD.
While dairy doesn't seem to cause UC flares, lactose intolerance can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea that can be mistaken for UC. Avoid dairy products or add lactase supplements to reduce these symptoms.
Common culprits include greasy or fried items, caffeine, alcohol, carbonation, spicy foods, raw vegetables, and some high-fiber foods like nuts, seeds, corn, or popcorn.
“Research shows that people with ulcerative colitis who get more sleep are less likely to have a flare,” says Neilanjan Nandi, MD, a gastroenterologist at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.