Treatment The route of treatment depends on what is causing colitis. Infection: Infections that cause diarrhea and colitis may potentially require antibiotics, depending on the cause. Viral infections require fluids and time. Some bacterial infections, such as Salmonella, do not need antibiotic therapy; the body is able to get rid of the infection on its own. Other bacterial infections, such as Clostridium difficile, require antibiotic treatment.
Anti-inflammatory medications may be used initially and medications that suppress the immune system can be added if necessary. Surgery may be an option in severe cases, including removal of the colon and small intestine. Ischemic colitis: Treatment for ischemic colitis begins with intravenous fluids to rest the bowel and prevent dehydration. If sufficient blood supply is not restored, surgery may be needed to remove parts of the bowel that lost blood supply.
Diarrhea and abdominal pain: Diarrhea and abdominal pain are the primary symptoms of colitis. Initial treatment at home may include a clear fluid diet for 24 hours, rest, and Tylenol for pain. It almost always starts at the rectum, extending upwards in a continuous manner through the colon.
Colitis can be controlled with medication and in severe cases can even be treated through the surgical removal of the entire large intestine. Indeterminate colitis is a term used when it is unclear if the inflammation is due to Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. These diseases can also differ in their symptoms ; surgery and treatment options ; disease complications ; and the impact of smoking.
Some examples are listed below:. Females are more likely than males to be diagnosed with Crohn's disease; whereas the risk for being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis is the same across females and males. Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding and a sense of urgency or false urges are more common in ulcerative colitis than in Crohn's disease. Sores in the mouth and around the anus occur more often in Crohn's disease than ulcerative colitis.
Maintenance therapy is used to reduce for both Crohn's and colitis to reduce the chance of relapse. Growth failure in children and adolescents is more common in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Osteoporosis is more common in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Table reference. You likely have a lot of questions, coupled with a fair degree of concern and uncertainty.
You are not alone. You have started a journey of discovery that will help you to cope with your disease and not just survive, but thrive. Topics include treatment options, diet and nutrition, symptom management, disease complications, and more. If you're an older adult that has been diagnosed with Crohn's or colitis , click here watch our Living with IBD in Older Adulthood webinar to learn more about the impact of these diseases as you age.
Visit the IBD Journey section of our website to learn about living with Crohn's and colitis including testing and getting diagnosed, diet and nutrition, medication and treatment options, pain and symptom management, mental health and wellness, insurance and government support, and other essential information.
Visit our Find My Community page to look up the chapter closest to you. Do you want to talk to someone that has been affected by IBD? Our Gutsy Peer Support Mentors are ready to answer your questions, provide advice, and share their experiences with you. Crohn's and Colitis Canada offers programs for children and youth that have been diagnosed with Crohn's or colitis, including camp for kids and teens , and scholarships for post-secondary students.
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Signs and symptoms can include abdominal pain and cramping; severe diarrhea; rectal bleeding; blood in stool; weight loss and diminished appetite. The exact cause of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis remains unknown, and as a result, there is no cure for these diseases.
Causes and risk factors of Crohn's and colitis include genetics, the environment, and microbiome. Michael's Hospital. Anatomy and Function of the GI Tract In order to understand Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, it is helpful to learn the anatomy and function of the healthy gastrointestinal GI tract. The main functions of the colon are to extract water and salt from stool, and store it until it can be expelled via the anus.
When stool first enters the colon from the small bowel, it is very watery. As it traverses the large bowel, water is reabsorbed and the stool gradually becomes firmer.
In a healthy individual, it is usually composed of water, dead and living bacteria, fiber undigested food , intestinal mucous, and sloughed-off lining of the gut. It is not normal to have blood in feces, nor large amounts of mucous. Stool from an individual without any gut disease is soft enough to pass comfortably from the rectum and anus, and depending on the person is typically expelled one or two times a day. Coping with these symptoms may also make you feel isolated and low.
Our information on Fatigue , Joints , Bloating and Wind , and Managing Bowel Incontinence can help you find ways to manage these symptoms. These include:. Around 4 in 10 people with Microscopic Colitis also have a condition caused by the immune system attacking other parts of the body autoimmune condition. Bile salts help you to digest fats.
When you eat a meal, especially with fat in it, these bile salts are released from your liver and gall bladder into the upper part of your gut. They help to digest the food as it travels through your small bowel. When the bile salts reach the far end of this, they are mostly absorbed back into your body and return to your liver in the bloodstream.
This means you produce large amounts of watery poo. Find out more in Diarrhoea and Constipation. Your doctor will take a careful history of all your symptoms as some can be similar to other conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS. In Microscopic Colitis, changes in the gut can only be seen under the microscope. So, to diagnose the condition a small tissue sample biopsy is taken from the colon when you have a colonoscopy.
This is then looked at under a microscope. In a colonoscopy, a long flexible tube about the thickness of your little finger with a bright light and camera at its tip is inserted through the anus, allowing the specialist to examine the lining of the colon. During the investigation, the specialist will painlessly remove small pieces of tissue from the lining of the colon, to examine in the laboratory under a microscope.
Find out more in Tests and Investigations. I was diagnosed by a biopsy taken during a colonoscopy. This followed 6 months of unexplained weight loss, persistent frequent diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
Other tests you may have You may have a test for bile acid malabsorption. This is usually carried out in the Nuclear Medicine outpatient department of the hospital. These will measure the absorption of the radioactive bile salts.
Find out more about bile acid diarrhoea in our information on Diarrhoea and Constipation. Delay in getting a diagnosis It may take some time to get a diagnosis of Microscopic Colitis, and this can be frustrating. This may be because:. It's been hard to get a diagnosis and treatment. Even after that Microscopic is still not considered to be as serious as other conditons. Medicines that may trigger Microscopic Colitis include:.
Many of these medicines can also cause diarrhoea as a side effect. Lifestyle changes Cutting down alcohol and caffeine can be helpful in reducing diarrhoea. Medicines There may be several options for treatment depending on the severity of the symptoms you have. You can find out more about possible operations in Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis. Microscopic colitis does NOT make you any more likely to get colon cancer than the general population. Diet with Microscopic Colitis is different for everyone.
Fatty, spicy and high fibre foods make some people feel worse, but everyone is different, so keeping a food diary can help. A dietitian can help you find a healthy diet that works for you. Try the food diary in Food. Should I avoid gluten? To find out if you need to avoid gluten, your doctor will do a blood test to check for this. If your blood test is positive, you may also have an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to confirm.
Talk to your doctor or dietitian before making any major changes to your diet. They can help you plan how to avoid dairy products or gluten while still getting the nutrients you need. After many years of experimenting, I have found dairy products seem to trigger my symptoms, so I have replaced milk with soya or almond milk instead.
Your doctor will support you and you should ask for support from an IBD nurse-led service.
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