Ulcerative colitis

[Lanell]

A bloody shit disease....quite literally. People who suffer from this non-infectious disease usually end up spending lots of time wrapped around the loo with bloody diarrhoea during flare ups. Caused by persons [immune system] attacking large intestines lining causing inflammation and ulcers, loss of appetite and generally feeling like [utter crap]. Medication can usually help to control it though some have awful side effects such as [moon face]

[Marquetta]

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which the large intestine (colon) becomes inflamed and ulcerated (pitted or eroded), leading to flare-ups (bouts or attacks) of bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. The long-term risk of colon cancer is increased compared to people who do not have ulcerative colitis.

The exact cause of this disease is not known.
Typical symptoms during flare-ups include abdominal cramps, an urge to move the bowels, and diarrhea (typically bloody).
The diagnosis is based on a sigmoidoscopy or sometimes a colonoscopy.
People who have had ulcerative colitis for a long time may develop colon cancer.
Treatment is aimed at controlling the inflammation, reducing symptoms, and replacing any lost fluids and nutrients.

(See also Overview of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).)
Ulcerative colitis may start at any age but usually begins before age 30, usually between the ages of 14 and 24. A small group of people have their first attack between the ages of 50 and 70.
Ulcerative colitis usually starts in the rectum (ulcerative proctitis). It may stay confined to the rectum or over time extend to involve the entire colon. In some people, most of the large intestine is affected at once.
Ulcerative colitis usually does not affect the full thickness of the wall of the large intestine and hardly ever affects the small intestine. The affected parts of the intestine have shallow ulcers (sores). Unlike Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis does not cause fistulas or abscesses.
The cause of ulcerative colitis is not known for certain, but heredity and an overactive immune response in the intestine seem to be contributing factors. Cigarette smoking, which seems to contribute to the development and periodic flare-ups of Crohn disease, seems to decrease the risk of ulcerative colitis. However, smoking in order to reduce the risk of ulcerative colitis is ill-advised in light of the many health problems that smoking can cause.

[Renato]

An inflammatory bowel disease where ulcers form in your colon, causing bleeding, spasms, pain and misery. A bad flare-up with [ulcerative colitis] can reach about an [8/10] on the painfulness scale. This is a chronic lifelong condition, usually hereditary, with no known cure. Thankfully it is relatively [manageable].

[Marquetta]

an illness in which parts of the bowels are inflamed (= red, painful and swollen) and can produce ulcers (= breaks in the skin, or on the surface of an organ inside the body, that do not heal naturally) :