Gastrointestinal conditions are a classification of medical ailments that include a vast number of conditions. They also affect a great deal of individuals including 60 to 70 million people throughout the entire U.S., as denoted by statistics from the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Colitis Roanoke is a common condition that's categorized as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). What Is Colitis? As an IBD, colitis causes chronic inflammation in part of the digestive tract. Generally, this condition starts out slowly and gradually increases in severity. The innermost lining of the large intestines – also known as the colon – and the rectum are the most commonly affected areas of the digestive tract. As opposed to Crohn's disease, which happens anywhere in the digestive tract and spreads deeply into the tissue, colitis happens in continuous stretches of a person's colon. Currently, a cause of ulcerative colitis Roanoke, or anywhere at that matter, isn't known.
The symptoms of colitis include bloody stool and abdominal cramping. A person may also experience diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss. Sometimes, a person with this condition will experience a feeling like he has to move his bowels, but he is unable to. Treating Colitis Once a person receives a colitis diagnosis, the goal of the treatment is to decrease the inflammation that causes symptoms. In some cases, the symptoms will be alleviated enough that a person goes into a remission for long term. Medications, in particular anti-inflammatory drugs, can be used to reduce a person's symptoms. One drug is sulfasalazine or Azulfidine. It reduces symptoms, but can cause diahrea, headaches, vomiting and heartburn. It's not safe to take if an individual is allergic to any other sulfa drugs.
Mesalamine, which goes by the brand names of Lialda and Asacol, is available in oral form. It causes side effects like chest pains, bloody vomit, swelling and black or tarry stools. Balsalazide or olsalizine may also be prescribed, both of which tend to have less side effects than sulfasalazine. In some cases, a physician may prescribe more than one of these medications. For example, a doctor may prescribe a suppository and an oral medication at the same time. A prime example is taking mesalamine with a suppository. Corticosteroids alleviate some of the inflammation. They, however, have numerous side effects including weight gain, growing excessive facial hair, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, mood swings, cataracts and glaucoma. Not to mention, they can cause body fractures and make a person more susceptible to infections. Thus, corticosteroids are only used in the most severe cases when nothing else is working.
