Signs and symptoms of colitis
Ulcerative colitis disturbs the colon of the human body. The colon is a part of the digestive system and hence once colitis affects the colon, it tends to distress the digestive system as well. There can be a lot of many health issues that directly hamper the digestive system and therefore we are unable to identify whether or not the issue is caused by Ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative colitis has different severity levels and this depends on which part of the colon is affected by colitis. Also, there are cases wherein the colitis symptoms might first appear and then disappear. For instance, a person might not experience any sign or symptom of colitis for weeks and then suddenly after a few months, these might come back.
Some of the symptoms of colitis are:
Diarrhea
One of the most common symptoms of colitis is diarrhea along with pus or blood in it. There might be times when a person experiencing such symptoms might not be able to see the blood in the stool. If the disease is a bit severe, then the person might not be able to control the urge to empty the colon and therefore might want to go to the toilet soon after finishing the meal. These are the times when one should completely avoid certain types of foods such as spicy dishes or foods which are filled with fiber.
Pain
It is common to experience stomach ache in ulcerative colitis. One can experience the pain before the bowel movement and also after that. There can also be a pain in other parts of the body and some might have sore joints as well.
Tiredness
Ulcerative colitis also causes fatigue and extreme lethargy. Loss of appetite and nausea keeps drains the energy out of the body. Internal bleeding in the colon leaves very few red blood cells in the body, making the person anemic. There is also a lack of sleep, which is due to constant urge to go to the toilet and disturbed bowel movement. Diarrhea dehydrates the body and therefore keeps the person tired and nauseated throughout.
It is important to not avoid even the slightest of these symptoms and consult the doctor.
