Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease, which occurs when the lining of the colon (large intestine), rectum, or both get inflamed. Due to this inflammation, tiny sores, known as ulcers, develop on the colon’s lining. Usually, this condition starts in the rectum and spreads upwards. Ulcerative colitis can affect your entire colon.

Effects of ulcerative colitis
In ulcerative colitis, your bowel ends up moving its contents quickly and empties quite often due to the inflammation. As the cells on the surface of your bowel’s lining die, ulcers develop, which may lead to bleeding and discharge of pus and mucus.

Causes
The actual cause of ulcerative colitis is not known. Earlier, stress and diet were suspected to be the main reasons for this condition. However, medical experts now state that these aspects can worsen the condition but not cause it.

The malfunction of your immune system is a probable cause of ulcerative colitis. When the immune system attempts to combat an invading bacterium or virus, an unusual response results in attacking the cells, which are present in the digestive tract.

Genetics can also be an important factor, which can result in ulcerative colitis among people who have a family history of this illness.

Symptoms
The seriousness of ulcerative colitis indications differs among patients. The symptoms may change with time. People with this condition may exhibit mild or no signs at all. This is referred to as remission. However, the signs can recur and be adverse. Such a situation is known as a flare-up.

The prominent indications of this condition are malnutrition, weight loss, rectal pain, fever, diarrhea, blood in the stool, increased abdominal sounds, and pain in the abdomen.

Additionally, ulcerative colitis may result in inflammation in the eye, mouth sores, skin-related issues, reduced appetite and nausea, swelling in the joint, and pain in the joint.

Treatment options
Some methods of treatment for ulcerative colitis include:

• Medication
  The medication that you need to take will depend on the seriousness of your ulcerative colitis indications. If you display moderate to severe signs, your doctor may recommend you to take biologic, which is an antibody medication. It plays an important role in blocking inflammation. By taking this, you can avoid a flare-up of symptoms.

Other effective medications for most patients are Xeljanz, Stelara, Entyvio, and Remicade. Additionally, the doctor can prescribe an immunomodulator, which changes the working of the immune system. Its examples are thiopurine, 5-ASA, and methotrexate.

If you have mild signs, the doctor may recommend a medication that will help decrease inflammation and swelling. Some types of medications include 5-ASA, Dipentum, Colazal, Azulfidine, and Asacol, and Lialda. In case of an infection, you may require antibiotics. To decrease inflammation, some patients may need corticosteroids. However, these can have severe effects. So, doctors try to restrict their use.

• Surgery
  The surgical procedure can eliminate this condition. It includes the removal of your entire rectum and colon. The procedure involved here is called J-pouch surgery, which eliminates the requirement to wear a bag for collecting stool. Here, the surgeon builds a pouch from the small intestine’s end, which is then connected to your anus, enabling you to remove the waste normally. Usually, surgery is required if you experience a severe blockage, debilitating and chronic signs, or heavy blood loss.
• Hospitalization
  In case of serious symptoms, you will need to be hospitalized to rectify the dehydration-related effects and the loss of electrolytes caused by diarrhea.

Natural remedies
Natural ways to treat or prevent this condition include the following:

• Drink a lot of water
• Do regular exercises
• Participate in group therapy to deal with the emotional effects
• Eat many small meals every day
• Reduce the consumption of buttery, greasy foods