Ulcerative colitis is a disease that strikes primarily young people. In most patients, this chronic inflammation occurs in the colon for the first time aged 20 and 30.Typical symptoms of ulcerative colitis are severe, some mucous-bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and general malaise. Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease is less dramatic than Ulcerative colitis is relatively widespread: an estimated 150,000 people in Germany are concerned, about as many as from Crohn's disease , also a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis have a lot of similarity with each other. However, ulcerative colitis, the disease is less dramatic: it does not spread throughout the digestive tract, but typically begins in the rectum and extends up to the small bowel end. In addition, the inflammation remains confined to the mucosa and spared the deeper layers of the wall.
Favorable prognosis
Ulcerative colitis typically runs in waves, periods of increased disease activity alternate with symptom-free intervals. With today's drugs can usually control the disease well, only in exceptional cases, it is necessary to remove large intestine .The prognosis for many patients, so rather cheap. This is especially true when only the lower parts of the colon are affected.
Risk Factors
What ulcerative colitis ultimately caused is still unknown. Doctors suspect that this is an impaired immune response to bacterial antigens. Another component of the disease appears to be the genetic predisposition.
No Question of Food
In some counselors say, ulcerative colitis arises through nutrition. This assumption is not scientifically proved. There is only evidence that individual to the needs of the patient's diet positively affect the disease process adapted.
Mental Health Problems do not Matter
Also, the previously discussed psychological causes of the disease are now excluded. However, the psychological well-being and stress management of the patient undoubtedly has an influence on the course of the disease. Today the focus is on the common fears associated with the disease or depression , psychotherapy in the handle to get psychologically.
In Ulcerative Colitis Comorbidities
Patients with ulcerative colitis often suffer from concomitant diseases that are associated with bowel disease. They are probably just as ulcerative colitis itself caused by a dysregulation of the immune system. There are mainly diseases of the musculoskeletal system, eyes and the skin:
- Musculoskeletal system: arthritis is typical, more precisely, inflammation of the knee, hock and elbow joints as well as the ligaments and muscle sheaths.Frequently, the sacroiliac joint or facet joints are affected.
- Eyes: The focus is inflammation at the middle coat of the eye (uveitis) and the sclera (scleritis).
- Skin: Typical skin manifestations are erythema nodosum, a red-nodular changes on the legs, rarely does the pyoderma gangrenosum before, a non-infectious ulcer.
May also occur in ulcerative colitis patients and disorders of the liver, bile ducts and other internal organs. Doctors refer to these cases in which misdirected immune response in ulcerative colitis, the other organs also show extraintestinal manifestations.
Ulcerative Colitis can Cause Osteoporosis
An immediate consequence of ulcerative colitis may be a decreased bone density, as osteopenia, or - if it is already strong - as osteoporosis ) is called brittle bones (.The bones lose stability in advanced stages and can break even the smallest bumps. Well over 15 percent of ulcerative colitis patients are affected by osteopenia or osteoporosis. Possible causes are:
- the diarrhea, go through the many nutrients lost virgin
- the poor nutrient absorption through the gut
- the bone-depleting effect of the inflammation itself
- a prolonged treatment with cortisone.