What is Colitis?
Colitis is a chronic bowel disease that causes inflammation in the lining of your colon i.e. the large intestine.

Prevalence in India -
Once prevalent in Western countries, colitis is on the rise in India among other Asian countries. The causes for this rise are mainly the degrading environment and the consequent changes in your genes. Colitis brings many changes to your lifestyle. Therefore, it is important to arm yourself with all the information about the disease to better manage it and lead the life you want.

What are the causes?
The common causes of colitis are -

Infection due to virus, bacteria and parasites
Decreased blood supply
Allergic reactions
What are the signs and symptoms of Colitis?
The signs and symptoms of colitis include the following-

Extreme pain before, during or after diarrhoea in the lower abdomen
Aches in joints and muscles
Tender abdomen
Swelling of colon
Redness on the colon surface
Bleeding from stool
Diarrhoea or constipation
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Fever, fatigue
Dehydration
Eye and skin inflammation
What can you do to prevent it?
In order to prevent the occurrence of colitis, you can adopt a few steps. Precautionary measures mostly include dietary changes. You should avoid intake of certain foods to eliminate the symptoms of the disease.

Avoid the consumption of dairy products
Avoid eating spicy foods
Avoid including vegetables like cabbage, dried beans, peas in your diet
Refrain from drinking alcohol, caffeine and carbonated drinks
Instead, include white bread, white rice, pureed vegetable soup, canned fruits, etc
Depending on the diagnosis and the treatment, people do get better. Many people can build successive careers after getting treatments. However, initially, the symptoms will cause a problem in your daily life. It is important to know how you can identify the early signs and what you can do to manage or prevent them.

Know More About Colitis!

Ulcerative Colitis is one of the severe and chronic forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) that can throw life in a jeopardy. The condition that mainly affects the rectum and the large intestine can cause severe inflammation, ulceration, and abscess formation. The ulceration or the inflammation of the colon and the rectum left unattended for too long can give rise to deleterious consequences including damage and perforation of the colon, osteoporosis. Various studies also suggest that ulcerative colitis can increase the risk of a person suffering colon cancer.

Like most of the IBD, there is no definite cure for ulcerative colitis. The illness is a chronic condition and can flare up or recur at any point in time. Though medications may help to control the damage and the complications triggered by ulcerative colitis, a surgery may be essential in case of

Severe damage to the colon.
The nonsurgical treatments could do little to improve the conditions.
There is an increased risk of colon cancer.
Ulcerative colitis has resulted in Toxic megacolon (a life-threatening condition where the large intestinal muscles have dilated with some swelling).
There are extreme discomfort and bleeding.
Surgeries to deal with Ulcerative Colitis

In the case of Ulcerative Colitis, the nature of the surgery depends on the extent to which the colon or the rectum or both have been affected and damaged.
In the case of extensive damage with a high risk of colon cancer, the surgeon may perform Proctocolectomy or colectomy
Colectomy may involve
Removal of all of the colon- Total Colectomy
Removal of the diseased part of the colon- Partial Colectomy.
Following the excision, the surgeon may carry out necessary rearrangements to reconnect the remaining portion of the colon to the abdomen through an opening known as stroma (the procedure is known as colostomy).
In case of Total Colectomy, the small intestine will be connected to the abdomen by a process known as Ileostomy.
Proctocolectomy involves the removal of both the rectum and colon to avoid further aggravation.
Following the proctocolectomy, the surgeon may carry out Ileoanal Anastomosis (Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis). In this procedure, a pouch is created using a small part of the small intestine. This pouch is then connected to the anus to help in the elimination of the wastes.
General precautionary measures to control Ulcerative Colitis
Making healthy lifestyle and dietary modifications can go a long way to control ulcerative colitis and the associated symptoms.

Spicy foods can worsen the incidence of ulcerative colitis. Enrich your diet with lots of fruits, vegetables (squash, avocados, fish (especially salmon and tuna), meat, dairy products, olive oil, walnuts, flaxseed oil, almonds.
Make sure the diet is a low-fiber diet.
Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks and beverages, foods high in sulfur content, refined sugar.
Research suggests stress and lack of physical activities can aggravate the ulcerative colitis. Mediation and daily exercise can produce fruitful results.
Make sure your sleep is not compromised (6-8 hours daily).

Ulcerative Colitis - How Surgery Can Help Manage It?

It is gastrointestinal bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, commonly defined as bleeding arising from the oesophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Blood is often observed in vomit (hematemesis) or in the stool (melena). Upper gastrointestinal bleeding denotes a medical emergency and typically requires hospital care for primary diagnosis and treatment. The incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is 50-150 individuals per 100,000 annually. Depending on its severity, it carries an estimated mortality risk of 11%.

The causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding are as follows:

Oesophagal causes (gastrorrhagia):

Oesophagal varices
Esophagitis
Oesophagal cancer
Oesophagal ulcers
Mallory-Weiss tear
Gastric causes: 

Gastric ulcer
Gastric cancer
Gastritis
Gastric varices
Gastric antral vascular ectasia
Dieulafoy's lesions

Duodenal causes
Duodenal ulcer
Vascular malformation, including aorto-enteric fistulae
Hematobilia or bleeding from the biliary tree
Hemosuccus pancreaticus or bleeding from the pancreatic duct
Severe superior mesenteric artery syndrome
The signs and symptoms of upper gastrointestinal bleeding are as follows:

Hematemesis - Vomiting of blood
Melena - Blood in the stool
Hematochezia - Passage of fresh blood through the anus, usually in or with stools
Syncope - Loss of consciousness (fainting)
Presyncope - State of lightheadedness, muscular weakness, blurred vision, and feeling faint
Dyspepsia   IndigestionEpigastric painHeartburnDiffuse abdominal pain
Dysphagia - Difficulty in swallowing. Weight lossJaundice - Yellow discolouration of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera
The diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is made when hematemesis is present. In the absence of hematemesis, an upper source of GI bleeding is likely in the presence of at least two factors among - Black stool, age < 50 years or blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio 30 or more

If these findings are absent, consider a nasogastric aspirate to determine the source of bleeding. If the aspirate is positive, an upper GI bleed is greater than 50%, but not high enough to be certain. If the aspirate is negative, the source of a GI bleed is likely lower. The accuracy of the aspirate is improved by using the Gastroccult test. Also, the following diagnostic tests are done:

Orthostatic blood pressure
Complete blood count with differential counts
Hemoglobin level
Type and crossmatch blood
Basic metabolic profile, BUN,
Coagulation profile
Serum calcium
Serum gastrin
Endoscopy
Chest radiography
Nasogastric lavageAngiography (if bleeding persists and endoscopy fails to identify a bleeding site)
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be managed in the following ways:

Airway management and fluid resuscitation using either intravenous fluids and or blood
Medications to stop the bleeding (Proton-pump inhibitors are often given in the emergency)
Surgical intervention
Treating the consequences (like anaemia) that the bleeding may have caused
Precautions are taken to prevent re-bleeding

What Are The Reasons Behind Ulcer?

Eating good and healthy food always contributes to the overall wellbeing of a person. Same holds true for the patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC). Ulcerative colitis patients need certain dietary modification to bring about a change in their condition. Though this condition isn t directly caused by the food but the frequency of flare ups is influenced by the food taken. Below mentioned is the list of foods to eat and avoid.

Food to be Consumed
Usually, for ulcerative colitis, low fibre and low residue foods are considered the best since they are easy to digest. Here is a list of foods that can be included in the diet:

Vitamin D: This vitamin boosts the immune system to fight the risks of ulcerative colitis flare ups. Since the sun is the best source of Vitamin D, it is important that a person gets as much exposure to the sun as possible.
Probiotics: Maintain a balance between good and bad bacteria of the gut which in turn alleviates the symptoms of this condition.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can help alleviate intestinal inflammation caused by ulcerative colitis. Salmon is one of the best sources of Omega-3.
Eggs: Eggs are typically easy to digest and offer a number of nutrients which makes them one of the best choices for the patients of UC.
Plenty of fluid: People with this condition need to drink extra fluid, as diarrhoea can lead to dehydration.
Supplements: Dietary supplements also help in balancing the nutritional needs of a patient. But do consult a 
And last but not the least there are many anti-inflammatory foods that help in reducing the ulcerative colitis flare-ups include turmeric, cloves, ginger and rosemary. 

Foods to be Avoided
A patient should closely monitor what s/he is eating as the studies have revealed that the symptoms of ulcerative colitis are closely associated with diet. The following list will help you cut off the chances of UC flare ups.

High Fibre Food: Are difficult to digest so should be cut off from the diet. It s best to moderate the intake of fruits and vegetables with insoluble fibres.
Oily and Fatty Foods: The greasy food can aggravate the symptoms of UC as well as can cause diarrhoea.
Spicy foods: Spicy foods may disturb your bowel movements, so it is best to limit the intake of chillies, chilli powder, paprika, peppers etc.
Dairy products: Patients of UC are mostly lactose intolerant. So, these patients should avoid dairy products.
Seeds and nuts: Seeds and nuts are hard to digest, and it is best to avoid them if you are suffering from ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative Colitis is just a disease which can be avoided by maintaining a proper diet and making few dietary modifications. One should eat smaller meals a few times per days instead of eating large ones.

Ulcerative Colitis Diet - Foods To Eat And Avoid!

This is a disease that affects the large intestine and the rectum. The Ulcerative Colitis refers to the inflammation in the innermost lining of the large intestine. The main function of the large intestine is to absorb water from indigestible food matter in the body before throwing away any waste. Hence, the large intestine is a vital part of our body. If left untreated, the disease increases risk of colon cancer.

Symptoms:

    Diarrhea with blood or pus: A person suffering from Ulcerative Colitis is likely to suffer from loose stools accompanied with blood or pus.
    Stomach pain and Cramping: In many cases, patients complain of severe stomach pain and cramping.
    Rectal pain: At times, many patients feel pain while sitting or even after a bowel movement.
    Bleeding from the rectum: Bleeding can be observed while passing stools.

The other complications leading to this disease are kidney stones, swelling of the colon, thickening of intestinal walls and blood infection.

Diagnosis:
This disease can be diagnosed by several methods. A simple stool test may be done to check out for bacteria and parasites. A blood test to check the level of C-reactive protein helps determine the inflation rate of the body. Endoscopy, colonoscopy, biopsy are some other methods of diagnosis.

Treatment

    Oral medication: Treatment involves drug therapy or surgery. The first step in treating Ulcerative Colitis will be an intake of anti-inflammatory drugs, but these may have a side effect. Another option is immune system suppressors, which help to bring down the inflammation by suppressing the immune system response. Antibiotics, anti-diarrheal medications, pain relievers are some of the additional drug supplements recommended by doctors.
    Surgery: Surgery plays an important role because this disease is pre-malignant in nature. Depending on the severity of the condition, the medical practitioner may advice surgery. The common methods of surgery are:
        Proctocolectomy and Ileostomy: Proctocolectomy involves removal of the colon in part or whole. Ileostomy is carried out by placing a special bag in the small intestine to collect waste from the body.
        Proctocolectomy and Ileo-anal: Ileo-anal pouch is a bag directly created the small intestine and connected to the anus, for diffusing the stools. As colon is removed Ulcerative Colitis cannot re-occur.

Precautions after surgery
It is very important that the patient takes healthy, sufficient and nutritious food so that bowel movement can be carried out with ease and zero strain. The patient has to restrict lifting of heavy grocery, mowing the lawn, any physical activity that can strain the abdomen and related areas.

Surgery and Post Surgery Care for Ulcerative Colitis

Peptic ulcers are wounds that develop in the stomach lining, less esophagus or small intestine. They are usually due to inflammation caused by bacterial H. pylori, in addition to corrosions from stomach acids. An ulcer is generally rooted in the stomach or inner layer of the small intestine. A stomach ulcer is the most visible sign of peptic an ulcer disease.

People with an ulcer may have a really hard time dealing with it. It is an open wound on the outer or internal surface of the body, which causes excessive pain. It is due to a breakdown in the mucous membrane or skin which fails to recover.

Causes of peptic ulcer:
Several reasons can cause stomach, esophagus, and small intestine to break. Contains:

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a type of bacteria that can cause stomach infections and swelling
Continuous use of Aspirin (Bayer), Ibuprofen (Advil), and other anti-inflammatory drugs (the risks linked with this behavior among women and people over 60 years of age)
Smoking
Alcohol drinking
radiation therapy
stomach cancer
Symptoms of peptic ulcer:
The most common symptom of peptic ulcer is burning abdominal pain, which spread from navel to chest, which can range from light to severe. In few circumstances, the pain can get you up at night. Small peptic ulcers cannot develop any symptoms in initial stages.

A burning, grinding pain in the upper middle part of the stomach and is comforted just by eating or taking antacids.
Change in taste
Sickness
Bloody or dark stool
Ambiguous weight loss
Indigestion
Vomit
Pain in chest
Below are the ways to you from Peptic ulcers?
Stomach ulcer pain is not a joke: it can leave you weak. Fortunately, following these steps are ways to reduce your risk of getting ulcer.

Avoid some foods such as spicy, lemon, fatty, etc., because they can be burdens your stomach. Specifically, if you have seen that particular types of food disturb your stomach, keep away from it.
Improve the quality of your life by including exercise, stress-free activities, yoga etc. in your daily routine.
The heavy consumption of alcohol can cause ulcers. They have been contributing to the development of ulcers, so it is good to reduce the consumption of alcohol.
Taking no steroid anti-inflammatory medicines can reduce the risk of disturbing your stomach lining and thus avoiding the growth of ulcers.
Management of anxiety level avoids the expansion of ulcers. Do yoga and other comforting arts that help prevent the ulcer.
Some lifestyle choices and habits can reduce your risk of developing the peptic ulcer. 

5 Things You Can Do To Protect Yourself From Peptic Ulcer!

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