Understanding Colitis - Signs, Symptoms and Treatments

Colitis is a condition that causes the colon to become inflamed. The different types of colitis include Ischemic colitis, Crohn's disease, and chemically induced colitis. The most common type of colitis is ulcerative colitis, also called inflammatory bowel disease or IBD.

Ulcerative colitis is like Crohn's disease in some ways but Crohn's disease results in isolated areas of inflammation while ulcerative colitis occurs in sections. Another difference is the layer of the intestinal lining affected by the two conditions.

The main symptoms of ulcerative colitis are rectal inflammation and bleeding from the rectum. Pancolitis is different because of the large area of the colon that is affected and causes symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, cramping, fatigue, weight loss, and night sweats.

Colitis is a serious medical problem that can cause serious complications including the paralysis of the colon, which means no gas or waste can come out from bowel movements. When the waste cannot be removed, the colon can rupture,spreading toxins throughout the body and leading to peritonitis. If this happens, surgery has to be done immediately. There are less serious complications that can occur including a perforated colon, dehydration, liver problems, and inflamed skin or joints. IBD can increase the risk of developing colon cancer if it goes on for a long time but only in about 10% of the cases do people develop colon cancer.

IBD is similar to Crohn's because both produce ulcers on the colon that cause a variety of symptoms. No one really knows what causes this condition but it's thought that bacteria or something viral are to blame. Your family history can be a risk factor for IBD. This type of colon problem occurs mostly in people who are about 30 years of age, which is also true for Crohn's disease.

A variety of tests are used for diagnosing patients with IBD. A blood test can determine if there is an infection or if the person has anemia. A colonoscopy is done whereby a tube is inserted through the rectum to take video of the interior of the colon and to remove tissue samples. Barium can be used so that an X-ray can look for diseased tissues.

The treatments for colitis include medication, as well as surgery to take out the affected tissue, which can be a small or large area. Anti-inflammatory medications can help people cope with the symptoms of colitis and corticosteroids can be used but only for short amounts of time.