Educational Content: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.

Colitis

Medically reviewed by Dr. Otari Nergadze, Neurosurgeon | Updated: January 2026
  • What Is Colitis?
  • Colon Anatomy
    • Colitis and the anatomy of the colon
  • 5 Causes (Types)
    • What are the five causes (types) of colitis?
  • Infectious Colitis
    • Infectious causes of colitis
  • Ischemic Colitis
    • Ischemic causes of colitis
  • IBD
    • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis
  • Microscopic Colitis
    • Microscopic colitis
  • Allergic Colitis
    • Allergic colitis in infants
  • Symptoms/Signs
    • What are colitis symptoms and signs?
    • When should someone contact a doctor about colitis?
  • Doctor Specialists
    • What kind of doctor diagnoses and treats colitis?
  • Diagnosis
    • What happens during a physical exam for colitis?
    • What blood tests and/or stool samples diagnose colitis?
    • What imaging tests and procedures diagnose colitis?
  • Treatment
    • What is the treatment for colitis?
  • Prognosis
A woman suffers from colitis abdominal pain.
A woman suffers from colitis abdominal pain. There are numerous causes of colitis including infection, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two types of IBD), ischemic colitis, allergic reactions, and microscopic colitis.Source: Getty Images

Colitis definition and facts

  • Colitis refers to inflammation of the inner lining of the colon. There are numerous causes of colitis including infection, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two types of IBD), ischemic colitis, allergic reactions, and microscopic colitis.
  • Symptoms of colitis depend upon the cause and may include
  • Associated symptoms depend upon the cause of colitis and may include

    People who are lactose intolerant should avoid dairy products containing lactose. There are a variety of companies (for example, Lactaid and Green Valley Organics) that offer lactose-free products such as milk, yogurt, ice cream, and cottage cheese.

    What is the prognosis for a person with colitis?

    Patients with infectious diarrhea tend to get better relatively quickly with supportive care. Most infections will resolve with or without specific treatment and often do not require antibiotics. Those decisions depend on the patient's diagnosis.

    Patients with inflammatory bowel disease probably will require lifelong treatment to help control their symptoms. The goal, as with any long-term illness, is to allow the patient to live a normal life with minimal symptoms from the disease.

    Patients with ischemic colitis need to minimize their risk factors for progressive narrowing of the arteries. These are the same risks as for heart disease and require the same treatment approach, including controlling high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking cessation. Patients with severe ischemia that leads to a dead (gangrenous) colon require surgery to remove the gangrenous segment.