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Colitis is a chronic digestive disease characterized by inflammation
Inflammation

Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
 of the colon
Colon (anatomy)

The colon is the last portion of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from feces before they are defecation from the body....
.

Colitis is one of a group of conditions which are inflammatory and auto-immune, affecting the tissue that lines the gastrointestinal system (the large and small intestine). It is classed as an inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease

In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammation conditions of the colon and small intestine. The major types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.....
 (IBD), not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome , also called spastic colon, is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any organic cause....
 (IBS).

ral signs and symptom
Symptom

A symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality. A symptom is subjective, observed by the patient, and not measured....
s of colitis include pain
Pain

Pain, in the sense of physical pain, is a typical sensory experience that may be described as the unpleasant awareness of a noxious stimulus or bodily harm....
, tenderness in the abdomen, depression
Clinical depression

Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive depression , low self-esteem, and anhedonia in normally enjoyable activities....
, rapid weight loss, aches and pains within the joints, fatigue, changes in bowel habits (increased frequency), fever
Fever

Fever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1?2 ?C ....
; swelling of the colon tissue, erythema
Erythema

Erythema is redness of the skin caused by capillary congestion....
 (redness) of the surface of the colon, ulcers
Peptic ulcer

A peptic ulcer, also known as ulcus pepticum, PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is an ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful....
 on the colon (in ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease . Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the intestine, specifically the large intestine or colon , that includes characteristic Peptic ulcer, or open sores, in the colon....
) which can bleed
Bleeding

Bleeding, technically known as hemorrhaging or haemorrhaging is the loss of blood from the circulatory system. Bleeding can occur internally, where blood leaks from blood vessels inside the body or externally, either through a natural opening such as the vagina, Mouth , nose, or anus, or through a break in the skin....
, mucus in the stool
Human feces

Human Feces , also known as stools, is the waste product of the human digestive system and varies significantly in appearance, depending on the state of the whole digestive system, influenced by diet and health....
, blood in stool and rectal bleeding.






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Encyclopedia


Colitis is a chronic digestive disease characterized by inflammation
Inflammation

Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
 of the colon
Colon (anatomy)

The colon is the last portion of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from feces before they are defecation from the body....
.

Colitis is one of a group of conditions which are inflammatory and auto-immune, affecting the tissue that lines the gastrointestinal system (the large and small intestine). It is classed as an inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease

In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammation conditions of the colon and small intestine. The major types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.....
 (IBD), not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome , also called spastic colon, is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any organic cause....
 (IBS).

Signs and symptoms

General signs and symptom
Symptom

A symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality. A symptom is subjective, observed by the patient, and not measured....
s of colitis include pain
Pain

Pain, in the sense of physical pain, is a typical sensory experience that may be described as the unpleasant awareness of a noxious stimulus or bodily harm....
, tenderness in the abdomen, depression
Clinical depression

Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive depression , low self-esteem, and anhedonia in normally enjoyable activities....
, rapid weight loss, aches and pains within the joints, fatigue, changes in bowel habits (increased frequency), fever
Fever

Fever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1?2 ?C ....
; swelling of the colon tissue, erythema
Erythema

Erythema is redness of the skin caused by capillary congestion....
 (redness) of the surface of the colon, ulcers
Peptic ulcer

A peptic ulcer, also known as ulcus pepticum, PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is an ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful....
 on the colon (in ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease . Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the intestine, specifically the large intestine or colon , that includes characteristic Peptic ulcer, or open sores, in the colon....
) which can bleed
Bleeding

Bleeding, technically known as hemorrhaging or haemorrhaging is the loss of blood from the circulatory system. Bleeding can occur internally, where blood leaks from blood vessels inside the body or externally, either through a natural opening such as the vagina, Mouth , nose, or anus, or through a break in the skin....
, mucus in the stool
Human feces

Human Feces , also known as stools, is the waste product of the human digestive system and varies significantly in appearance, depending on the state of the whole digestive system, influenced by diet and health....
, blood in stool and rectal bleeding. Diarrhea
Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
 may present itself, although some forms of colitis are constipation
Constipation

Constipation, costiveness, or irregularity, is a condition of the digestive system in which a person experiences hard feces that are difficult to expel....
 so the stool and bowel movements can appear normal.

Other symptoms may include: gas, bloating, indigestion, heartburn, reflux, Gastro oesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease ', Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease ', Gastric reflux disease, or Acid reflux disease is defined as chronic symptoms or mucosal damage produced by the abnormal reflux in...
 (GORD or GERD when using the alternative spelling esophageal), cramps, urgency and many other uncomfortable aches in the gastrointestinal system.

Common tests which reveal these signs include X-ray
X-ray

X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometers, corresponding to frequency in the range 30 Hertz to 30 Hertz and energies in the range 120 Electron volt to 120 keV....
s of the colon, testing the stool for blood and pus, sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy

Sigmoidoscopy is the minimally invasive medicine examination of the large intestine from the rectum through the last part of the colon . There are two types of sigmoidoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, which uses a flexible endoscopy, and rigid sigmoidoscopy, which uses a rigid device....
, and colonoscopy
Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the endoscopy examination of the large Colon and the distal part of the ileum with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus....
. Additional tests include stool cultures and blood test
Blood test

A blood test is a medical laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or via fingerprick....
s, including blood chemistry tests. A high erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate , also called a sedimentation rate or Biernacki Reaction, is the rate at which red blood cells precipitate in a period of 1 hour....
 (ESR) is one typical finding in acute exacerbations of colitis.

Food triggers

Many people have found that one or more of the following foods can trigger their symptoms
  • alcohol
  • caffeine
  • carbonated beverages
  • dairy products, if lactose intolerant
  • dried beans, peas, and legumes
  • dried fruits, berries, fruits with pulp or seeds
  • foods containing sulfur or sulfate
  • foods high in fiber, including whole-grain products
  • hot sauce, pepper
  • meats
  • nuts, crunchy nut butters
  • popcorn
  • products containing sorbitol (sugar-free gum and candies)
  • raw vegetables
  • refined sugar
  • seeds
  • spicy foods, sauces


Though there is little medical support for the idea, others claim they have become completely symptom free by eliminating most foods, especially grains and other cooked foods, and replacing them with a raw food diet based around fruits.

Types

Types of colitis include ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease . Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the intestine, specifically the large intestine or colon , that includes characteristic Peptic ulcer, or open sores, in the colon....
 (UC), Crohn's colitis
Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disease which may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms....
, diversion colitis
Diversion colitis

Diversion colitis is an inflammation of the colon which can occur as a complication of ileostomy or colostomy, often occurring within the year following the surgery....
, ischemic colitis
Ischemic colitis

Ischemic colitis is a medical condition in which inflammation and injury of the large intestine result from inadequate blood supply. Although uncommon in the general population, ischemic colitis occurs with greater frequency in the elderly, and is the most common form of bowel ischemia....
, infectious colitis, fulminant colitis, collagenous colitis
Collagenous colitis

Collagenous colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease Colon disease with peak incidence in the 5th decade of life, affecting women more than men....
, chemical colitis
Chemical colitis

Chemical colitis is a type of colitis, an inflammation of the large intestine or colon , caused by the introduction of harsh chemicals to the colon by an enema or other procedure....
, microscopic colitis
Microscopic colitis

Microscopic colitis refers to two medical conditions which cause diarrhoea: collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. Both conditions are characterised by the following triad of clinicopathological features:...
, lymphocytic colitis
Lymphocytic colitis

Lymphocytic colitis, a subtype of microscopic colitis, is a rare condition characterized by chronic non-bloody watery diarrhea. The colonoscopy is normal but the mucosal biopsy reveals an accumulation of lymphocytes in the colonic epithelium and connective tissue ....
, and atypical colitis.

A well-known subtype of infectious colitis is pseudomembranous colitis
Pseudomembranous colitis

Pseudomembranous colitis is an infection of the colon often, but not always, caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile. Still, the expression "C....
, which results from infection by a toxigenic strain of Clostridium difficile
Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile , also known as "CDF/cdf", or "C. diff", is a species of Gram-positive bacteria of the genus Clostridium. Clostridia are Anaerobic organism, endospore-forming rods ....
 (c-diff). Parasitic infections can also cause colitis.

Any colitis with a rapid downhill clinical course is known as fulminant colitis. In addition to the diarrhea
Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
, fever
Fever

Fever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1?2 ?C ....
, and anemia
Anemia

Anemia or an?mia/anaemia is defined as a qualitative or quantitative deficiency of hemoglobin, a protein found inside red blood cells ....
 seen in colitis, the patient has severe abdominal pain and presents a clinical picture similar to that of septicemia, where shock is present. Approximately half of these patients require surgery.

Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome , also called spastic colon, is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any organic cause....
, a separate disease, has been called spastic colitis or spastic colon. This name causes confusion, since colitis is not a feature of irritable bowel syndrome.

Enterohemorrhagic colitis may be caused by Shiga toxin
Shiga toxin

Shiga toxins are a family of related exotoxins with two major groups, Stx1 and Stx2, whose genes are considered to be part of the genome of lambdoid prophages....
 in Shigella dysenteriae
Shigella dysenteriae

Shigella dysenteriae is a species of the rod-shaped bacterial genus Shigella. Shigella can cause shigellosis . Shigellae are Gram-negative, Endospore, Facultative anaerobic organism, Motility bacteria....
 or Shigatoxigenic group of Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli

'Escherichia coli' , is a Gram negative bacterium that is commonly found in the lower gastrointestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. Most E....
 (STEC), which includes serotype
Serotype

For the term's use in bacteriology, see serovar.Transplants between genetically non-identical humans induce the creation of antibodies in the recipient....
 O157:H7
Escherichia coli O157:H7

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an enterohemorrhagic strain of the Bacteria Escherichia coli and a cause of foodborne illness. Infection often leads to bloody diarrhea, and occasionally to kidney failure, especially in young children and elderly people....
 and other enterohemorrhagic E. coli.

Treatment

Treatment of colitis may include the administration of antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
s and general non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) medications such as Mesalamine (Asacol) or its derivatives; Azathioprine
Azathioprine

Azathioprine is an immunosuppressant used in organ transplantation, autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and pemphigus or inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis as well as multiple sclerosis....
 or similar immunosupressants; steroids such as prednisolone
Prednisolone

Prednisolone is the active metabolite of prednisone....
 and prednisone
Prednisone

Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug that is usually taken orally but can be delivered by intramuscular injection and can be used for a number of different conditions....
; one or several of a number of other drugs that ameliorate inflammation and pain (buscopan
Buscopan

Butylscopolamine, also known as scopolamine butylbromide and hyoscine butylbromide, is an antimuscarinic, anticholinergic agent used as an abdominal-specific antispasmodic....
). As it is a chronic condition the objective is "remission" rather than cure.

Surgery
Surgery

Surgery is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, to help improve bodily function or appearance, or sometimes for some other reason....
 is required only when the patient suffers from regular or permanent flare ups, especially in cases of fulminant colitis. Surgery usually entails removing the colon and bowel and creating a "pouch" with a portion of the small intestine, which in time adopts the characteristics of the colon.

Medical opinion is divided on the role of diet in colitis and IBD. Anecdotally, some sufferers find a change in diet can be effective at treating the symptoms of colitis and easing the side effects. These can include reducing the intake of complex carbohydrates, refined sugar, lactose
Lactose

Lactose is a sugar that is found most notably in milk. Lactose makes up around 2?8% of milk . The name comes from the Latin word for milk, plus the -ose ending used to name sugars....
 products, soft drinks, caffeine
Caffeine

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a psychoactive stimulant drug and a mild diuretic. Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819....
, and spicy foods. One of them is Specific Carbohydrate Diet
Specific Carbohydrate Diet

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is a nutritional regimen that is promoted as treating a variety of chronic and auto-immune disorders including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis....
 championed by Elaine Gottschall
Elaine Gottschall

Elaine Gottschall was the author of Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet. She wrote a book to help those with gastrointestinal disorders try a new approach to treating their problems, called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet....
.

See also

  • CDAD


External links

  • , National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House, National Institutes of Health (in the )
http://www.dmoz.org/Health/Conditions_and_Diseases/Digestive_Disorders/Intestinal/Inflammatory_Bowel_Disease/Ulcerative_Colitis/