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Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed. Experts hypothesise the cause of the condition may include the immune system mistaking “friendly bacteria” in the colon, which aids digestion, as a harmful infection, leading to the colon and rectum becoming inflamed.
According to Crohn’s and Colitis, warning symptoms of ulcerative colitis include:
- Diarrhoea. This is often with blood and mucus, and an urgent need to rush to the toilet
- Cramping pains in the abdomen. These can be very severe and often occur before passing a stool
- Tiredness and fatigue. This can be due to the illness itself, from anaemia (see below), or from a lack of sleep if you have to keep getting up at night with pain or diarrhoea
- Feeling generally unwell. Some people may have a raised temperature and feel feverish, with a fast heartbeat
- Loss of appetite and loss of weight.
- Anaemia (a reduced number of red blood cells). You are more likely to develop anaemia if you are losing a lot of blood or not eating well. Anaemia can make you feel very tired.
It’s imperative to speak to your doctor if your bowel habits continue to change with the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain
- Blood in your stool
- Ongoing diarrhoea that doesn’t respond to over-the-counter medications
- Diarrhoea that awakens you from sleep
- An unexplained fever lasting more than a day or two.
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Medical News Today advised on certain medications those suffering with ulcerative colitis should avoid which include:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are common medications that people use to relieve pain, inflammation, and fevers.
These drugs are known to cause flare ups in those suffering with ulcerative colitis and can also include:
Ibuprofen
Naproxen
Aspirin
Some antibiotics.
Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that can cause varying levels of pain.
Colitis is sometimes described as a chronic condition.
This means that it is ongoing and lifelong, although a person may have long periods of good health known as remission, as well relapses or flare-ups when the symptoms are more active.
Dr Bret Lashner said: “Patients with ulcerative colitis may develop one of three types of polyps.
“Pseudopolyps, which typically develop following severe inflammation of the colon, have no dysplasia (precancerous cells), and pose no risk of cancer.
“Dysplasia-associated lesions or masses (DALMs), which are benign, irregular lesions that have dysplasia (abnormal cell growth), and markedly increase the risk of colon cancer.
“Sporadic adenomas, which occur frequently in the general population of people over age 50 and only slightly increase one’s risk of cancer.”
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