Ulcerative colitis is the acute or chronic inflammation of the membrane lining the colon. The colon is of course made up of the large intestine and large bowel, and is the part of the body that the stool passes through. This inflammation affects the innermost layer of said colon and that can cause the appearance of painful sores or ulcers.
It is unusual for ulcerative colitis to affect the small intestine, however it can in some cases be found in the lower section (the terminal ileum).
This inflammation causes the colon to constantly empty itself due to irritation. This is then experienced as diarrhea and frequent trips to the toilet. There are many other painful and unpleasant symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis however.
The symptoms of ulcerative colitis can be dramatic and unpleasant, but in other cases they might be much milder and less apparent. In this case, it can be difficult to spot ulcerative colitis as it might simply be mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome. In fact, the condition is an example of irritable bowel disease. The other cause of IBD being Crohn’s disease.
In this post, we will examine the 10 most disturbing symptoms to look out for if you want to catch the condition early.
1. Abdominal Pain
One of the most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis is severe abdominal pain. This is of course caused by the inflammation that is occurring just beneath the surface inside your colon.
Ulcerative colitis can be a very uncomfortable and painful experience that might feel like sickness or indigestion. Unfortunately, there is no way to immediately relieve the condition, though there are things that you can do in order to provide yourself with at least some temporary comfort.
Good options include using a hot water bottle or some kind of hot compress. Hold this against your stomach and it will help to relax the muscles and provide comfort. Another great option is to use a warm bath, which will surround you and warm the entire area.
At the same time, you can also benefit from using analgesics, such as paracetamol. However, you should check with your physician before this, as you can otherwise actually exacerbate the issue and cause damage to the lining of the stomach.
