Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis

    * Introduction
    * Signs and symptoms
    * Causes
    * Evolution and complications
    * Diagnosis
    * Treatment
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon and rectum, the autoimmune nature. The disease is relatively rare, but has a strong emotional and social impact on the person affected.
Ulcerative colitis is manifested by abdominal cramps, diarrhea and bloody stools. The disease affects the rectum in 95% of cases and can sometimes extend to the entire large intestine. Ulcerative colitis is part of the family of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease together. But, while Crohn's disease can affect any portion of the digestive tract and can spread in the affected tissue profuzimea, ulcerative colitis but does not reach the lining of the colon and rectum. It is called ulcerative hemorrhagic.
Severity of the disease varies from person to person. Some patients have few symptoms and does not require constant medication. Symptoms disappear in some cases for months or even years, then inevitably recur.
Ulcerative colitis may be accompanied by a number of diseases of joints, liver or skin. One can distinguish four types of ulcerative colitis, according to the extension of inflammation: Proctor - inflammation of the lining of the rectum proctosigmoidita - inflammation of the rectum and sigmoid colon pancolita or extensive colitis - affects the entire colon
The disease is mainly diagnosed in people aged between 15 and 40 years, but it may declare at any age. Peak incidence occurs in 15 -25 years in people between 55 -65 years. Incidence of ulcerative colitis is equal in both sexes. Although there is no cure for ulcerative colitis, its signs and symptoms can be reduced and can get a long-term remission of the disease.