One of the most debilitating long-term illnesses, Ulcerative Colitis is a disease that causes the inflammation of the colon and can have a long-lasting impact on the health and fitness of anyone who suffers from this condition.
Ulcerative Colitis is categorized as an inflammatory bowel syndrome and while the exact causes are not known to us, it is observed that people who are genetically predisposed to the condition have a chance of developing it in their lifetime, mostly between the ages of eighteen to forty. It is often categorized as an auto-immune disease wherein the immunity system cannot differentiate between the harmful bacteria, good bacteria, and the lining of the colon, and hence it tends to cause the flares experienced by someone who is suffering from Ulcerative Colitis.
Whether it is the presence and absence of certain symptoms or the variation in intensity, Ulcerative Colitis symptoms may seem different in different people. Some of the most common symptoms of the disease are as follows-
- Excessive abdominal pain
- Extreme Weight loss
- Painful Bowel Movements
- Painfully frequent bowel movements
- Urge to empty bowels more frequently
- The feeling of an incomplete bowel emptying
- Rectal Pain
- Rectal Bleeding
- Bloody stool
Ulcerative Colitis is a disease that affects much more than just the colon. The inflammation of the colon causes lower absorption of nutrients and the other symptoms may cause dehydration and fatigue, leading to a host of health issues.
The disease is further classified based on how much of the colon has been compromised. Ulcerative Proctitis is defined as a condition where the inflammation is limited to the rectal region, causing bloody stool.
Proctosigmoiditis affects the lower part of the colon and the rectum and the symptoms may include bloody diarrhea, pain in the lower abdomen, and the inability to pass stool although there is an urge to.
Left-sided colitis affects the lower colon, rectum, and descending colon. The symptoms for this condition are bloody diarrhea, lower abdominal pain, and acute pain in the left side of the abdomen.
Pancolitis affects the entire colon and has more severe symptoms than the conditions previously mentioned. They include severe abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, fatigue, and even weight loss.
Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis is the most severe form of the disease and it affects the entire colon to the point where one experiences bloody diarrhea, fevers, inability to eat, and severe abdominal pain.
Since the condition is caused by the inflammation of the colon, most efforts are made to restore that balance in order to help the patients tackle the symptoms. A combination of anti-inflammatory drugs along with other supplements may be able to help relieve some of the effects but they do not help tackle the root cause of the problem. Many patients undergo a colonoscopy in order to deal with a severely inflamed and highly damaged colon. The aftermath of the removal may present some complications and can be difficult to deal with. It also does not act as a permanent solution as well, since flares occur despite this treatment.
Hence the best way to cure ulcerative colitis is to treat it with natural methods. These methods may take some time to show effects but following a healthy lifestyle and abiding by the ulcerative Colitis diet may be the best way to reverse the damage caused by the disease and to cure ulcerative colitis altogether.
One of the main aspects of an ulcerative colitis diet is to eat food that will not promote inflammation and help restore the balance in your body. This means food such as meat and animal produce are not a part of the ulcerative colitis diet as they tend to contain fats that are difficult to digest and may worsen a flare. They also contain high amounts of sulfates which are bad for recovery.
The best ulcerative colitis cure diet is having wholesome plant-based meals that are easily digested and do not contain complex carbohydrates or inflammatory ingredients such as fatty oils or rancid ingredients such as dairy. Incorporate lots of soluble and insoluble fiber and make sure to create a balanced and synergetic meal by combining the right food groups to create a balanced meal for an ulcerative colitis diet.
An ulcerative colitis diet should be mindful of the nutritional requirements of the body while avoiding any complex, rancid or fatty food to make sure that the colon is not strained and the digestive tract can recover with great ease. A plant-based diet is the best ulcerative colitis diet to manage flares. To summarize, Ulcerative colitis is a condition that can be treated with the help of a little self-control determination and the right ulcerative colitis diet!
