Getting Clear on… Colitis
Colitis is a condition of acute inflammation of your large intestine, or colon. If you have Colitis, you’ll feel discomfort and pain in your abdomen which may be mild and reoccurring over a long period of time, or severe and appearing suddenly.
If you have one or more of these hard-to-live-with symptoms, you need to share it with your healthcare provider:
abdominal pain or cramping
bloating in your abdomen
unexpected weight loss
diarrhea with or without blood
blood in your stool
urgent need to move your bowels
chills or fever
vomiting
How does a doctor know when it’s Colitis?
A doctor may ask about the frequency of your symptoms and when they first started. They’ll then perform a thorough physical exam and the use of diagnostic tests such as:
colonoscopy, which involves threading a camera on a flexible tube through the anus to view the rectum and colon
sigmoidoscopy, which is similar to a colonoscopy but shows only the rectum and lower colon
stool samples
abdominal imaging such as MRI or CT scans
ultrasound, which can be useful depending on the area being scanned
barium enema, an X-ray of the colon after it’s injected with barium, which helps make images more visible
There are several different types of Colitis, and treatment varies depending on what type you have.
Here’s a comprehensive list of each:
1. Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease in your digestive tract. It’s a lifelong disease that causes inflammation and bleeding ulcers within the inner lining of your large intestine.
It generally begins in the rectum and spreads to the colon. Symptoms usually develop over time, rather than suddenly.
UC is the most commonly diagnosed type of Colitis. It occurs when the immune system overreacts to bacteria and other substances in the digestive tract.
Common types of UC include:
proctosigmoiditis, which affects the rectum and lower portion of the colon
left-sided ulcerative Colitis, which affects the left side of the colon beginning at the rectum
panColitis, which affects the entire large intestine
Ulcerative Colitis can be debilitating and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. While it has no known cure, treatment can greatly reduce signs and symptoms of the disease and bring about long-term remission.
Symptoms
UC symptoms can vary, depending on the severity of inflammation and where it occurs and may include:
Diarrhea, often with blood or pus
Abdominal pain and cramping
Rectal pain
Rectal bleeding — passing a small amount of blood with stool
Urgency to defecate
Inability to defecate despite urgency
Weight loss
Fatigue
Fever
In children, failure to grow
Most people with ulcerative Colitis have mild to moderate symptoms. The course of ulcerative Colitis may vary, with some people having long periods of remission.
Types
Doctors often classify ulcerative Colitis according to its location. Types of ulcerative Colitis include:
Ulcerative proctitis. Inflammation is confined to the area closest to the anus (rectum), and rectal bleeding may be the only sign of the disease.
Proctosigmoiditis. Inflammation involves the rectum and sigmoid colon — the lower end of the colon. Signs and symptoms include bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, and an inability to move the bowels in spite of the urge to do so (tenesmus).
Left-sided Colitis. The inflammation extends from the rectum up through the sigmoid and descending colon. Signs and symptoms include bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and pain on the left side, and urgency to defecate.
PanColitis. This type often affects the entire colon and causes bouts of bloody diarrhea that may be severe, abdominal cramps and pain, fatigue, and significant weight loss.
Causes
The exact cause of ulcerative Colitis remains unknown. Previously, diet and stress were suspected, but now doctors know that these factors aggravate but aren’t the initial cause of UC.
Systemic inflammation causes an overall immune system malfunction. For example, when your immune system tries to fight off an invading virus or bacterium, an abnormal immune response causes the immune system to attack the cells in the digestive tract, too.
Keeping your inflammation at bay is key to reducing UC.
Risk factors
Ulcerative Colitis affects about the same number of women and men. Risk factors may include:
Age. Ulcerative Colitis usually begins before the age of 30. But it can occur at any age, and some people may not develop the disease until after age 60.
Race or ethnicity. Although whites have the highest risk of the disease, it can occur in any race. If you're of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, your risk is even higher.
Family history. You're at higher risk if you have a close relative, such as a parent, sibling, or child, with the disease. Ulcerative Colitis is more common in people who have family members with the disease, but most people with UC don't have a family history of the condition.
2. Pseudomembranous Colitis
Pseudomembranous Colitis (PC) occurs from overgrowth of the bacterium Clostridium difficile (often called C. diff). This kind of bacteria normally lives in the intestine, but it doesn’t cause problems when balanced by the presence of “good” bacteria.
Types of medications, especially antibiotics, destroy healthy bacteria. This allows C. diff to take over, which then releases toxins that cause the inflammation in your colon.
3. Ischemic Colitis
Ischemic Colitis (IC) occurs when blood flow to the colon is suddenly cut off or restricted. Blood clots can be a reason for sudden blockage. Atherosclerosis, or buildup of fatty deposits in the blood vessels that supply the colon, is usually the reason for returning IC.
This type of Colitis is often the result of underlying conditions.
These may include:
vasculitis, an inflammatory disease of the blood vessels
blood loss
obstruction or blockage
trauma or injury
Although rare, IC may occur as a side effect of taking certain medications such as fibrates and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). More research is needed to fully understand all medications that could be a contributing factor.
4. Microscopic Colitis
Microscopic Colitis is a medical condition that a doctor can only identify by looking at a tissue sample of the colon under a microscope for signs of inflammation, like lymphocytes - a type of white blood cell.
Doctors sometimes classify microscopic Colitis into two categories: lymphocytic and collagenous Colitis.
Lymphocytic Colitis is when a doctor identifies a significant number of lymphocytes. However, the colon tissues and lining are not abnormally thickened.
Collagenous Colitis occurs when the colon’s lining becomes thicker than usual due to a buildup of collagen under the outermost layer of tissue.
Doctors do not know exactly what causes microscopic Colitis. However, they do know some people are more at risk for the condition.
People at a higher risk include:
current smokers
those assigned female at birth
those with a history of an autoimmune disorder
people older than age 50
people taking certain medications, such as some types of:
The most common symptoms of microscopic Colitis are:
chronic watery diarrhea
abdominal bloating
abdominal pain
5. Allergic Colitis in infants
Allergic Colitis is a condition that can occur in infants, usually within the first months after birth. The condition can cause symptoms in infants including:
reflux
excessive spitting up
fussiness
possible flecks of blood in a baby’s stool
Eosinophilic Colitis is a type of allergic Colitis that can also show up in infants with these symptoms. Its causes are similarly unknown, but it’s likely also related to a protein allergy or hypersensitive reaction to certain components in breast milk.
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes allergic Colitis, but a 2020 review of studies indicated that a protein allergy, either through breast milk, cow’s milk, or formula, could contribute.
Doctors will often recommend an elimination diet for the birthing parent, which involves slowly cutting out certain foods known to contribute to allergic Colitis. Examples include cow’s milk, eggs, and wheat. If the baby stops having symptoms of allergic Colitis, these foods were likely causing the problem.
In severe cases, monoclonal antibodies, such as those used to help treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), may also be another treatment option.
Additional causes
Other causes of Colitis include infection from parasites, viruses, and food poisoning from bacteria. You may also develop the condition if your large intestine has been treated with radiation.
Is Surgery the Only Cure?
The medical community agrees that the only definitive way to prevent a Colitis flare-up is to have surgery.
But you can reduce and/or prevent flare-ups without surgery. A balanced diet and nutrition plan, self-care to reduce stress, and making mindful choices can go a long way to being healthier.
Ways to decrease the likelihood of Colitis:
Keep a food log to track which foods may cause an increase in symptoms
Check with an expert about your fiber intake
Consider eating smaller meals more frequently
Increase your activity levels
Manage stress with ways like meditation, yoga, and mindfulness exercises
Always take medications as prescribed
Make sure your doctor knows about all of your other medications and supplements, including vitamins
Complications from Refusing Treatment
Possible complications when ignoring a Colitis diagnosis include:
Severe bleeding
A hole in the colon (perforated colon)
Severe dehydration
Bone loss (osteoporosis)
Inflammation of your skin, joints and eyes
An increased risk of colon cancer
A rapidly swelling colon (toxic megacolon)
Increased risk of blood clots in veins and arteries
Summary
You can see that this condition is not one to pretend you don’t have, and it would be hardly possible to ignore it with the symptoms and complications described above.
But a Colitis diagnosis doesn’t mean the end of the world. Look at it as a warning, that your body as a whole isn’t processing its current conditions well and is showing you that changes have to be made before something severe and irreversible happen.
It’s time to work on taming your inner flame, reducing your systemic inflammation, and feeling so much better. Consider hiring a holistic certified nutritionist that can guide you through making a life plan for conquering your health issues. You can book an appointment here.
And you can learn how to Write Your Own Prescription with a copy of my FREE eBook. Click here to download your copy today!
