Colitis treatment should only begin after a diagnosis is confirmed by a gastroenterologist. The severity of the condition would need to be assessed before a particular plan of action is drawn up. The extent of your problem would be analyzed by looking into a number of factors, this includes how many times you pass stools each day, whether or not your stools are bloody, if you have a fever, how much bladder control you retain, and your overall state of health.
Mild or moderate cases can usually be dealt with on an outpatient basis through a series of regular appointments at a clinic or a hospital. Only those individuals with severe cases are likely to need to be admitted to hospital. There are two colitis treatment options that would need to be explored, firstly there is the managing of the symptoms until they are brought under control, and then there would be the need to maintain remission so as to stop future flare ups.
As of today, there are three different types of medications that are typically used as colitis treatment, these are aminosalicylates, immunosuppresants, and steroids. Aminosalicylates would usually be the initial therapy offered for an individual with a mild or moderate bout of the condition. This kind of medication can help to reduce the inflammation that is present, and would be taken as tablet, a suppository, or through an enema. How the medication is administered will usually depend upon the extent and severity of the condition. In mild cases, there may only be a need for oral aminosalicylates to be used, whereas for those individuals with a more serious problem, the combination of both oral tablets and an enema can be the best option. The side effects that can be observed when using aminosalicylates include diarrhea, nausea, headaches, and skin rashes.
For some people, aminosalicylates may not have an impact on the progress of the disease. If this is the case, a gastroenterologist may suggest that a course of steroids are used. Steroids have a similar action to aminosalicylates, but they are stronger. They can also be taken orally, or as an enema, or a suppository. The long term usage of steroids is not encouraged as they can cause severe side effects. If taking steroids, your GP would likely monitor your progress and make changes in the colitis treatment plan as and when is necessary.
Examples of the side effects that can be felt from aminosalicylates include an increase in acne, anxiety, insomnia, swelling, indigestion, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, cataracts, weight gain, muscle weakness, easy bruising, and thinning of the skin. If you do need to use steroids for more than thirty days, it is important that you eat a diet which is calcium rich and balanced, refrain from the use of tobacco and alcohol products, and take regular exercise. It is also prudent to ensure that you have regular appointments with your GP to check for high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
For some people, there may be a need to use immunosuppresants, these can be offered in unison with other medication. As the name suggest, immunosuppresants work by decreasing the strength of the immune system, this in turn reduces the amount of inflammation present in the body. It is important to note that most immunosuppresants can take some time to start to have an effect, often two or three months. The problem with immunosuppresants is that they are not targeted at a particular organ, this means they can have an impact on your whole body and not just your colon. You should understand that this kind of medication can make an individual prone to infections, a close watch needs to be kept on possible signs of other conditions developing. What’s more, immunosuppresants also reduce the number of red blood cells, therefore the risk of anemia would be high.
Colitis treatment for patients with the most severe form of the condition should take place in hospital. The reason for this is that there is the very real risk of malnutrition, dehydration, and other problems such as the rupture of the colon. Intravenous fluids may be given to help combat dehydration.
Once the colitis treatment has had the desired effect, the next step is to maintain remission. This may involve the following of a lifelong maintenance therapy level of medication under the supervision of a gastroenterologist. Surgery is not always a safe option, though if the disease frequently returns it may be a choice that should be given serious consideration.
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Do You Recognize The Causes And Early Warning Symptoms of Colitis DiseaseColitis 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.
To People Who Want To Know About Colitis Symptoms
Colitis symptoms appear whenever the innermost lining of the colon, particularly the portions found at the very last part of the large intestines, become irritated due to inflammation.
