Types of Colitis
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by: Brad Pitt
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Word Count: 505
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2011 Time: 4:24 AM
Colitis is an unfortunate condition that affects many people at some point or the other. Often mistaken for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), colitis is swelling of the colon which can have many causes.
The colon is the last part of the digestive tract and it is used in order to break down the rest of the food, for the fermentation of solid waste, and to absorb water, salt and other water soluble nutrients. Malfunction caused by inflammation can then have a number of unpleasant side effects. For instance it is likely to cause diarrhea, possibly bleeding in the stool, vomiting, urgency, stomach pain and more.
But there is more than one type of colitis, there is more than one type of colitis treatment and knowing the difference between them is important to help with diagnosis and treatment. Here we will look at the most common forms.
Icschemic Colitis: Ischemic colitis is colitis that is caused by loss of blood to the colon and this means that it is a vascular problem. Many things can prevent blood from making it to the colon, such as vasoconstriction (where the blood vessels shrink), clotting, low blood pressure, high cholesterol and more. This then causes the symptoms described above in the early stages and is the most common form of colitis affecting 6% of people. Often very little ischemic colitis treatment is needed at the early stages and it will cure itself. However in more severe cases the colon can begin to leak fluids into the rest of the body at which point the patient must be put in intensive care for more serious ischemic colitis treatment.
Ulcerative Colitis: Ulcerative colitis is colitis in which the swelling is a result of autoimmune function where the immune system has begun attacking the colon. This then causes the appearance of many ulcers on the colon along with the damaged function. In extreme cases treatment for ulcerative colitis is surgery (colectomy) but in immunotherapy can be used in order to prevent the immune system from turning on the colon.
Crohn's Disease: Crohn's disease is a common cause of colitis. Crohn's disease is a condition which affects the whole of the digestive tract and this means that it can cause more varied symptoms and side effects. In some cases Crohn's disease can cause serious complications as the immune system is malfunctioning and the body is no longer able to absorb nutrients to the same degree. Crohn's disease treatment is also more complicated. Corticosteroids may be used to reduce swelling, but cannot be used for prolonged periods due to side effects. Likewise surgery is not a cure as of course the whole of the of the digestive tract can not possible be removed.
For Crohn's disease and many other forms of colitis many people also choose to use alternative forms of treatment which might include acupuncture, probiotics, and herbal remedies. Different people find that different treatments are effective and it is important to make sure you try different things to find what works for you.
About the Author
Different colitis treatment works in different cases. Follow the links for Crohns treatment and more.
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