Understanding The Options In Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks its own cells, causing inflammation and pain in the lower part of the intestine, called the colon. It's not known why this malfunction of the immune system occurs, but it is more common in women than in men, and is usually diagnosed in people in their teens and twenties. Ulcerative colitis treatment attempts to lessen the symptoms of the disorder.

Ulcerative colitis symptoms include cramps and abdominal pain, diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Besides being unpleasant and painful, these symptoms can cause weight loss and dehydration before a diagnosis is made. Most sufferers only get a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis after being treated unsuccessfully for other ailments.

The goal in treating ulcerative colitis is to relieve the symptoms, because there is no cure for the condition. Remission and relapse cycles are common in sufferers, and while they are usually brought about by medications, every once in a while they occur spontaneously. There are surgical treatments available, but they are considered last-resort options.

The two major classes of drugs used in treating ulcerative colitis are anti-inflammatories and immunosuppressants. Anti-inflammatories aim to reduce the inflammation caused by the hyperactivity of the immune system, and immunosuppressants aim to decrease the overall activity of the immune response. Both sets of drugs, but especially immunosuppressants, come with long lists of side effects.

While creams and enemas are available for use in patients who only have disease symptoms in the lower colon, that method of delivery is ineffectual in treating the upper parts of the colon. Oral treatments are often completely absorbed by the time they reach the affected part of the intestine, so in the past it has been difficult to treat with them. New developments in time-release mechanisms for drugs have made them more effective when taken by mouth, though.

Having noticed that smokers were less likely to get ulcerative colitis, doctors wondered what the effect of nicotine on those that already suffered from the disease would be. They found out that when treated with nicotine in a non-cigarette form, some patients will achieve remission.

Ulcerative colitis treatment can include surgery for those who are suffering long-term with little relief from drugs. But the surgeries can produce permanent problems themselves, and are potentially dangerous, so they are retained for use only in people who have tried everything else without success.

Surgery consists of removing the entire colon and rectum. This results in a need for somewhere for the stool to go, so patients are fitted with an opening in the abdomen that disposable bags are placed over to collect it. This is called an ileostomy. Some advances recently made in surgery for ulcerative colitis make it possible to reattach the intestine to the anus, allowing normal defecation in some patients.

People with ulcerative colitis face a challenge. The disease can be hard on many parts of their lives, and ulcerative colitis treatment can have unpleasant side effects and is not always as effective as they would hope. Additionally, the symptoms of the disease can be embarrassing, and the disorder is not that well known. But medicine is advancing every days, and already things are much better for sufferers than they were in the past.

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