Ulcerative Colitis Introduction Ulcerative Colitis is define…

Ulcerаtive Cоlitis Intrоductiоn Ulcerаtive Colitis is defined аs an inflammation specifically of the colon that develops ulcers or open sores. Ulcerative Colitis or UC is also considered to be an Inflammatory Bowel Disease that targets more precisely the mucosa of the infected patient’s colon. In most cases the rectum is the first portion infected, but the Ulcerative Colitis can continue to spreads up the GI tract to the rest of the large intestine (Ulcerative Colitis, 2019).  Although, this is not a common disease there is still speculation to its specific cause or causes, but with many distinct signs and symptoms the providers are able to put a name to this very ugly and de-habilitating disease, even though it is still a relatively uncommon disease there are many diverse types of treatments available to the patients that are diagnosed with UC. Etiology of Ulcerative Colitis There are no known causes for Ulcerative Colitis but there are several speculations of it being a mixture of something the patient is exposed to in the environment, the patient’s intestinal microbiome, the patient's immune system, and also the patient’s genetics (“Ulcerative Proctitis”, 2019). Ulcerative Colitis can affect both genders but more men in their 30’s are actively diagnosed with this disease. There have also been some speculations that a bacteria or virus could be the culprit of Ulcerative Colitis (“Overview of Ulcerative Colitis”, 2019). Even though Ulcerative Colitis can affect an individual at any stage in life most individuals diagnosed will have had signs during their adolescence or early adulthood (Ulcerative Colitis, 2019). Signs and Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis While Ulcerative Colitis is considered a chronic disease, a patients will go through stages of relapse and remission. Every patient is different, some might have more relapse while others may have more time in remission (Ulcerative Colitis, 2019).  Depending on the area affected in the colon the signs a symptoms can range from milder to more sever and require hospitalization. Frequent bloody diarrhea with pus/ mucus, pain, anemia, leucocytosis, fever, chills, fluid loss, weight loss, and urgency to defecate are just a few signs and symptoms that may occur in patients. Depending on severity toxic colitis can occur along with thinning and proliferation of colon wall and even joint pain are seen in some of the more severe cases of UC (Ulcerative Colitis, 2019). Cancer has also been linked to extensive colitis that last past seven years and after 35 years a patient has a 30% chance of being diagnosed with colon cancer (Walfish, 2019). Physical Assessment Although doctors and nurse practitioners narrow their diagnosis down by the common signs and symptoms they should be cautious to exclude other similar inflammatory bowel diseases and causes of colon inflammation first. Patients should be tested for STD’ s along with stool samples to rule out parasitic or bacterial infections and confirm inflammation with a Calprotectin lab. All medications taken by patient should be assessed to rule out any possible side effects. Colonoscopy should be done if the disease has moved past the reach of a sigmoidoscopy. Biopsy as well as blood tests should be run to test for further complications caused from loss of blood/fluids. Testing should also be run on a patient to assess the health of their liver (Walfish, 2019).     Treatment Several options are available depending on the amount of colon affected and the severity of the signs and symptoms. Treatment is aimed at healing inflammation in the mucosa along with treating symptoms associated with the disease. A course of methylprednisolone or hydrocortisone can be given succeeded by infliximab or cyclosporine. Alternative treatments can include probiotics and fecal transplants along with a change in diet and an addition of extra vitamins (Richards, 2019). Treatments with corticosteroids are given but should be monitored and not used while UC is not active. High doses of prednisone are given and can trigger a temporary remission of UC. Surgery is not an initial treatment but is an option in more severe cases of UC (Ulcerative Colitis, 2019).     Conclusion In conclusion, Ulcerative Colitis or UC can affect anyone and any stage in life and there is no known exact cause of the disease. UC while a chronic disease can come in and out of remission and the signs and symptoms can be varied but their severity is directly related to the amount of the colon that is infected. Although the diagnosis is made primarily off of the patient’s history and symptoms the providers should rule out any other cause of colitis. Finally, while this disease can be extremely de-habilitating the treatments are tailored to each patient and the forms range from simple and noninvasive all the way to a colectomy.       References Overview of Ulcerative Colitis. (2019). Retrieved from http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-ulcerative-colitis/overview Richards, S. (2019). New guidelines for treating patients with ulcerative colitis. Retrieved from http://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/gastrointestinal-articles/2019/march/new-guidelines-for-treating-patients-with-ulcerative-colitis-david-rubin Ulcerative Colitis. (2019). Retrieved from http://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/ulcerative-colitis/ Ulcerative Proctitis. (2019). Retrieved from http://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/ulcerative-proctitis/ Walfish, A. E. (2019). Ulcerative Colitis. Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd/ulcerative-colitis