Do You Recognize The Causes And Early Warning Symptoms of Colitis Disease

Colitis disease is a chronic condition that affects a person’s colon. The symptoms of this debilitating illness can include bloody diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain, and a frequent need to go the toilet. The colon, otherwise known as the large intestine, is an organ that absorbs various nutrients from food and passes out unwanted waste products into the rectum. Colitis occurs when the colon becomes inflamed and swollen, possibly resulting in the formation of ulcers which can produce mucus and pus and also bleed.

The symptoms of this condition can be mild or severe, especially as the onset and progress of the ailment can be extremely hard to predict. Various symptoms may flare up and then go into remission for months or possibly even years. At its worst, the entire length of the colon can become completely inflamed, a problem known as pancolitis. Pancolitis is a form of the disease which can be very hard to treat and cure.

Thankfully, ulcerative colitis is relatively uncommon. Estimates suggest that one in ten thousand people in the west are diagnosed with the condition annually. Its typical onset comes about between the ages of fifteen and thirty, and it is more common in Caucasian people of European descent. There is no gender bias that has been noted. It is extremely rare for people of Asian origin to suffer from colitis disease.

The exact reasons for the development of the condition are still unknown, though new research has highlighted a number of factors that may be involved. It is now thought that genetics plays a role in the development of the ailment. Recent studies indicate that around sixteen per cent of people suffering from this condition have a close relative who also has been diagnosed. There are a number of genes that have been identified which are believed to make the carriers more susceptible to developing colitis disease, though the exact mechanism is still not clear.

Our lifestyles and location are also thought to have a bearing on whether or not we develop this disease. It has been identified that it is a lot more common in specific geographic regions, for example the urbanized areas of North America and Western Europe. There is a suggestion that people living in these regions may be more at risk due to the high levels of air pollution, and a tendency to have a poor diet. In fact, it has been put forward that the typical western diet, consisting of high fat and a lot of carbohydrate, is partially responsible, this is backed up by the fact that in Asian countries where the condition is less prevalent, carbohydrates and saturated fats are not consumed so widely.

Another factor that is being looked into as a reason for the increase in colitis in the western world is the extreme levels of hygiene which are promoted. Today, children are brought up in environments that are germ-free and sterile, this means that they are not exposed to bacteria at a sufficient level for their immune systems to develop and become a strong defense later on in life. Moreover, the continual exposure to chemical toxins through diet and everyday household products can weaken an individual’s immune system in such a way that various health problems can develop quicker.

There is also a hypothesis that this disease may develop due to an over active immune system. There are some researchers who claim that in some people, when their immune systems are triggered by a bacterial or viral infection, it does not switch off once the original pathogen has been eradicated, thus leading to inflammation. There is also a theory put forward which suggests that the immune system can mistake the friendly bacteria in the colon as an infective agent. In such a scenario, the immune system attempts to halt the spread of what it believes to be an infection by producing inflammation in the colon. Such a condition is what is known as an auto-immune response, similar to arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma.

Thankfully, the outlook for people diagnosed with colitis disease is good. For most sufferers, the symptoms are only of a mild to moderate nature and can be effectively controlled with medication such as corticosteroids. Natural remedies such as ginger, slippery elm, and licorice are also thought to be effective in bringing the symptoms under control. Statistics indicate that around one in five people with the condition do not respond well to the usual medication, for these cases there may be a need to have the colon surgically removed.

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