Ulcerative colitis is the result of an abnormal response by your body’s immune system. Normally, the cells and proteins that make up the immune system protect you from infection. In people with IBD, however, the immune system mistakes food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign or invading substances. When this happens, the body sends white blood cells into the lining of the intestines, where they produce chronic inflammation and ulcerations.

What is Colitis?

Colitis is an inflammation of the colon also known as large intestine. Colitis may be acute and self-limited or long-term. It broadly fits into the category of digestive diseases. Colitis adversely affects ability to absorb adequate nutrition and effectively eliminate waste. Colitis may refer to one, or more, irritable bowel diseases.

What is the treatment of Colitis?

Treating Colitis is a challenge for any doctor. It is a chronic inflammatory disease and the colitis that is present in the intestines requires time to heal. The difficulty is that the intestines have to work day in and day out and cannot get any time to rest. Our heart, lungs, intestines have to work 24 hours in a day. They don’t get time to heal themselves. The inflammatory process can be helped by eating things that are light and don’t put too much strain on the digestive system.

Taking too many steroids and anti-inflammatory medicines that are usually given in the allopathic system does not help much in the long run. These tend to suppress the immune system and restrain the inflammatory process. Long term use of steroids has its own side.  This is why patients look for some alternatives to the steroids. And this is where Ayurveda and Homeopathy comes in.

These alternative medicines help you in curing without having any side effects. The biggest advantage of Ayurveda and Homeopathy is that it is mild in nature and tends to modify the body’s natural immunity. It is the body’s immune system to protect it from all sorts of damage, whether from bacteria or viruses or from any other disease. It also helps in repairing any damage that may occur at any time. It is advisable to boost the immune system to fight any disease rather supressing the symptoms of disease by Allopathic medicines. Natural herbs and Homeopathic medicines help strengthen the natural immunity of the body so that it can perform its natural functions in a more efficient manner.

Our medicines are highly effective in treating ulcerative colitis. However, the extent to which a patient will show recovery depends on the intensity of disease, duration of disease and individual response of the patient. Mild to moderate cases of ulcerative colitis recover wonderfully well under our mode of treatment. In severe cases, Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines can provide great symptomatic management and support.

Our medicine is of no use in case of perforated ulcerated colon and toxic mega colon. We advise you to seek traditional colitis treatment in severe cases of colitis.

 What are symptoms of Colitis?

Symptoms of colitis may vary from person to person, it include:

• Mild to severe abdominal pain and tenderness (depending on the stage of the disease),
• Recurring bloody diarrhea with/without pus in the stools,
• Faecal incontinence
• Flatulence
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• unexplained weight loss

More severe symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath
• A fast or irregular heartbeat and fever

Other less or rare non-specific symptoms that may accompany colitis include:

• Arthritis
• Mouth ulcers
• Painful, red and swollen skin
• Irritated, red eyes.

What are types of Colitis?

A patient may have:

• Ulcerative colitis (ulcers): Ulcerative colitis, as the name suggests is a gastrointestinal disease that causes ulcers in the colon or the large intestine and also the rectum. It is a disease that causes inflammation of the lining of the large intestine and the rectum and is therefore known as an inflammatory bowel disease.
• Pseudomembranous colitis (antibiotic):  Patients recently on a course of antibiotics for another illness are susceptible to this type of colitis. The antibiotics have also destroyed the good bacteria needed by the colon for functioning properly. The antibiotic alters the normal bacteria present in the colon that helps with digestion and allows an overgrowth of the Clostridium bacteria. Clostridium bacteria produce a toxin that causes diarrhea. This is an infection, and often there is a fever present. The diarrhea is usually not bloody.
• Collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis (microscopic): Medication may also be responsible for this type of bowel disorder. For example, aspirin may be prescribed to help prevent aches and pains, or even heart attacks, but it can also be pretty hard on the digestive system. In addition, drugs like Zantac, for controlling heartburn or the symptoms of a hiatal hernia can also leave the colon susceptible to microscopic invasions.
• Ischemic colitis (injuries):  Ischemia or lack of blood supply causes significant pain, fever, and bloody bowel movements. Age, heart disease, and other illnesses can adversely affect the proper blood flow and circulation throughout the body. If interrupted for two long, the lack of blood flow to the colon can cause irritable bowel disease and also result in the death of colon tissue.

Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis

• Frequency of the stools is much more than normal and one has to go several times to relieve oneself. Everytime one eats or drinks something, one feels compelled to pass stool.
• Crampy pain in the abdomen is another symptom and is almost always followed by an urge for stool.
• Blood and mucous are often present in the stool, though it is not necessary that both may be present at the same time.
• The consistency of the stool may vary from watery to semi-solid and stool often contains undigested food particles.
• The persistent diarrhoea and loss of blood and mucous tends to cause loss of water and electrolytes.
• Patient complains of weakness, dehydration and loss of weight is also seen.
• Anemia is an almost constant accompaniment.
• Dry skin and sunken eyes are quite commonly seen in patients of ulcerative colitis.
• Some patients also have prolonged fever along with the gastrointestinal symptoms.

Do’s and Dont’s for Ulcerative Colitis

Anything and everything that tends to aggravate the disease needs to be avoided.

• It is known that smoking and alcohol tend to worsen the trouble, therefore it is best to avoid smoking and alcohol.
• Fried food, junk food, spicy food and too much fat are also best avoided as the digestive system is unable to tolerate these things.
• It has also been observed that milk and other dairy products also tend to worsen the trouble.
• It is best to eat small meals at short intervals instead of loading one’s stomach at one go.
• Water intake should be good at all times and taking ORS regularly is advisable as there is a need to replenish the loss of water and electrolytes.