colitus

I had abdominal pain with bloody diarrhea for few days. As soon as I realized there is something wrong with me, I visited my doctor. He diagnosed me with ulcerative colitis. I have never heard for this so I am a little bit confused with this diagnosis. Can you tell me something about this?

Your doctor diagnosed you with colitis, which is disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the lining of your large intestine. The inflammation usually occurs in the rectum and lower part of the colon. Sometimes it may affect the entire colon, but rarely affects the small intestine. Usually, people with ulcerative colitis have abnormalities of the immune system. Ulcerative colitis is not caused by emotional distress or sensitivity to certain foods or food products, which you probably thinking. Anyway, truth is that these factors may trigger symptoms in some people. The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis are abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, but patients also may experience fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, rectal bleeding, etc. About half of patients have mild symptoms, and others suffer frequent fever, bloody diarrhea, and nausea. Treatment for ulcerative colitis depends on the seriousness of the disease; I guess your doctor will give you exact therapy your condition might require. Most people are treated with medication, but in some severe cases, a patient may need surgery to remove the diseased colon.