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- What is ulcerative colitis?
- Symptoms of ulcerative colitis
- Causes of ulcerative colitis
- Prevention of ulcerative colitis
- Risk factors for ulcerative colitis
- Complications of ulcerative colitis
- When to see a doctor about ulcerative colitis
- Diagnosis of ulcerative colitis
- Conventional treatment of ulcerative colitis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of ulcerative colitis
- Living with ulcerative colitis
- Caring for someone with ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the other which is Crohn's disease.
Ulcerative colitis generally only affects the lining of the colon (large intestines) and rectum/anus, which then can become very inflamed. Ulcerative colitis does not normally affect any other part of the gastrointestinal tract (small intestines, stomach, eosophagus, mouth) other than the large intestines and anus.
If the anus (rectum) is the only part that becomes inflamed the condition is then known as ulcerative proctitis.
Ulcerative colitis does not require surgery in most cases - only about 1% of people with this condition require their bowel removed. This type of surgery is only recommended for people with very severe forms of ulcerative colitis that does not respond to conventional treatment, seriously impacts quality of life or where there are pre-cancerous or cancerous cells.
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Facts about ulcerative colitis
- Ulcerative colitis mainly affects the mucosa lining of the large intestine and/or rectum
- Bowel cancer incidence is higher in people that have ulcerative colitis for at least ten years, so regular colonoscopy is recommended
- More people have Crohn's disease than ulcerative colitis (in a ratio of 3:2)
- More men than women seem to be diagnosed with ulcerative colitis than with Crohn's disease
- Smoking does not seem to affect incidence of ulcerative colitis
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