Anatom3D
ENCZDE
Download

Ulcerative colitis

Colitis ulcerosa · Ulcerózní kolitida

What it is

Continuous inflammation of the colon lining, starting at the rectum.

Symptoms & signs

  • Bloody diarrhoea
  • urgency
  • tenesmus
  • crampy pain
  • weight loss
  • fatigue

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Swollen, tender belly with fever and fast heartbeat
  • call 112 / 911 now Heavy bleeding from the back passage or fainting
  • see a doctor soon Six or more bloody stools a day
  • see a doctor soon Fever, weight loss or dehydration during a flare

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Mesalazine
  • steroids for flares
  • biologics (infliximab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab)
  • JAK inhibitors (more clots, heart events and cancers in older people at risk)
  • colectomy is curative

Natural & lifestyle

  • Curcumin as add-on (small trials)
  • omega-3
  • smoking seems to protect against flares, but its harms far outweigh this; alcohol moderation
  • stress management

Emerging & experimental

  • Faecal microbiota transplant
  • obefazimod
  • organoid-based mucosal healing

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Indigo naturalis (Qing Dai) — a Japanese trial induced response; risk of pulmonary hypertension mixed evidence
  • Nicotine patches in former smokers — trials show benefit, with side effects mixed evidence
  • Aloe vera gel — a small trial improved response early / small studies
  • Boswellia (frankincense) — small trials early / small studies
  • Wheatgrass juice — a small trial early / small studies

ICD codes