What is Colitis?
Hello, my name is Chris. This site contains information about my battle with ulcerative colitis (UC). I've had a lot of downs, but currently I am winning. If you have colitis, or know someone who does, you may find this information useful. If you don't have UC, then it might help if I first describe the condition and its symptoms.
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the colon, also known as the large intestine. Most UC patients experience frequent, urgent diarrhea accompanied often with rectal bleeding. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, and fever. UC only affects the innermost lining of the colon. Crohn's disease, on the other hand, can affect the entire thickness of the colon and/or small intestine. Both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's are serious illnesses, sometimes grouped together as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Because of its chronic and often debilitating nature, IBD is much more severe than spastic colon or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), also sometimes called colitis.
More than half a million Americans have ulcerative colitis, most initially diagnosed before age 30. Newly diagnosed colitis patients are typically surprised by how quickly they have become seriously ill. An unfortunate few feel fine one week and a couple of weeks later find themselves in the hospital. If you (or someone you know) are experiencing UC symptoms, you should probably see your family physician first. Your doctor can rule out illnesses with similar symptoms such as viruses, bacterial infections, or food poisoning. Your family doctor may order simple blood and stool tests or more intrusive procedures such as barium enema or flexible sigmoidoscope. After these tests, I would recommend you seek the advice of a gastroenterologist. This specialist will be able to confirm the diagnosis of UC with a colonoscopy.
If you find you do indeed have ulcerative colitis, the first two questions you might ask are: how did I get this and how do I cure it? Unfortunately experts don't seem to have an answer for either. Please understand that you are not alone in this fight and it is not the end of your world. Most people keep their condition under control with medication. Only a few ever require hospitalization or surgery. Some are lucky enough to enter into full remission. And some find relief in exercise or alternative medicine.
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