A Wisdom Archive on Colitis

Colitis (also known as colonitis) is an inflammation of the colon. It is a digestive disorder. There are several different types and causes of colitis, including: ulcerative colitis pseudomembranous colitis irritable bowel syndrome fulminant colitis Category: Inflammations Other related archivesCrohn's disease, Inflammations, colon, fulminant colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, pseudomembranous

Read more here: » Colitis: Encyclopedia - Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the bowel that usually affects the distal end of the large intestine and rectum. It has no known cause, although there is a genetic component to susceptibility. Ulcerative colitis - Features. Chronic diarrhoea (sometimes bloody). Other symptoms may include abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, and nausea. No infective cause of diarrhea found. Inflammatory changes are most often confined to the left side and distal parts of the large ... Including:

• Ulcerative colitis - Features
• Ulcerative colitis - Comparison to Crohn's disease
• Ulcerative colitis - Cause
• Ulcerative colitis - Diagnosis
• Ulcerative colitis - Course
• Ulcerative colitis - Treatment
• Ulcerative colitis - Current research and treatment alternatives

Read more here: » Ulcerative colitis: Encyclopedia - Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis - Comparison to Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis is similar to Crohn's disease, but there are characteristic differences. Ulcerative colitis affects only the colon and cannot "migrate" to the small intestine, while Crohn's disease can affect the entire digestive tract. Complete colon removal can thus be considered a "cure" for ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is usually confined to the mucosal and submucosal lining of the colon, and affects whole areas of intestine. Crohn's disease, on ...

Read more here: » Ulcerative colitis: Encyclopedia II - Ulcerative colitis - Features

Ulcerative colitis - Comparison to Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis is similar to Crohn's disease, but there are characteristic differences. Ulcerative colitis affects only the colon and cannot "migrate" to the small intestine, while Crohn's disease can affect the entire digestive tract. Complete colon removal can thus be considered a "cure" for ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is usually confined to the mucosal and submucosal lining of the colon, and affects whole areas of intestine. Crohn's disease, on ...

Read more here: » Ulcerative colitis: Encyclopedia II - Ulcerative colitis - Symptoms

Although much progress has been made in the last 20 years, in understanding and treating the disease, a definitive treatment or cure for Ulcerative colitis still eludes modern medicine. Therefore, treatment for Ulcerative colitis actually aims at inducing remission, preventing relapse, improving nutritional deficiency, and ensuring normal growth and development in child patients. This is achieved primarily through medication, and sometimes surgery. Anti-inflammatory drugs (such as sulfasalazine or mesalamine) are often used, and ...

Read more here: » Ulcerative colitis: Encyclopedia II - Ulcerative colitis - Treatment

Although great progress has been made in the last 20 years, in understanding and treating the disease, a definitive treatment or cure for Ulcerative colitis still eludes modern medicine. Therefore, treatment for Ulcerative colitis actually aims at inducing remission, preventing relapse, improving nutritional deficiency, and ensuring normal growth and development in child patients. This is achieved primarily through medication, and sometimes surgery. Anti-inflammatory drugs (such as sulfasalazine or mesalamine) are often used, an ...

Read more here: » Ulcerative colitis: Encyclopedia II - Ulcerative colitis - Treatment

The cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown, although infective agents have been suspected, and there is a genetic component to susceptibility. Immune system over-activity has also been suspected as a cause. There is much research currently being conducted in this area, and some new theories and medications show promising results. While a definitive cause of ulcerative colitis may never be discovered (since it is highly possible that it is a result of a combination of environmental, genetical, bacterial and other factors), an effective treatm ...

Read more here: » Ulcerative colitis: Encyclopedia II - Ulcerative colitis - Cause

People with ulcerative colitis may initially have bloody diarrhea (the severity of which is variable from time to time). Because of destruction of the nerves in the bowel, movement may be impaired, and the intestine may dilate. This may, in some cases, result in an extreme diarrheal disease - toxic megacolon, however the probability of occurrence is very low, and is further reduced by regular routine surveillance by colonoscopy. Eventually the inflamed mucosa may develop a risk of malignancy, requiring biopsy every few months. Sometimes the ...

Read more here: » Ulcerative colitis: Encyclopedia II - Ulcerative colitis - Course