Colitis
- What Is Colitis?
- Colon Anatomy
- 5 Causes (Types)
- Infectious Colitis
- Ischemic Colitis
- IBD
- Microscopic Colitis
- Allergic Colitis
- Symptoms/Signs
- Doctor Specialists
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Prognosis
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
- abdominal pain,
- cramping,
- diarrhea, with or without blood in the stool (one of the hallmark symptoms of colitis).
- Associated symptoms depend upon the cause of colitis and may include
- fever,
- chills,
- fatigue,
- dehydration,
- eye inflammation,
- joint swelling,
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.