Back Understanding Autoimmune Disease
Understanding Autoimmune Disease
Back Resources for Hope and Health
Resources for Hope and Health
Back Autoimmune Research & News
Autoimmune Research & News
Back Who We Are & How We Help
Who We Are & How We Help
an icon of a microscope, indicating research and science
Research Grants
& Projects

Ulcerative Colitis

Overview

A condition involving the formation of ulcers and inflammation of the innermost layer of the colon and rectum of the digestive tract.

There are four types of ulcerative colitis classified based on the location of the body:

Ulcerative proctitis
affects the rectum or the area closest to the anus
Proctosigmoiditis
rectum and the sigmoid colon — the lower end of the colon
Left-sided colitis
affects the rectum up through the sigmoid and descending colon
Pancolitis
affects the entire colon

Common Symptoms

Fatigue, fever, nausea, weight loss, diarrhea, passing blood with stool, rectal pain, rectal bleeding, the urgency to defecate, and abdominal pain.

Symptoms of various forms of ulcerative colitis:

Ulcerative proctitis
rectal bleeding is typically the only symptom in this form of the disease
Proctosigmoiditis
abdominal cramps and pain, bloody diarrhea, and inability to have a bowel movement despite the urgency to defecate
Left-sided colitis
abdominal pain and cramping on the left side, an urgency to defecate, and bloody diarrhea
Pancolitis
fatigue, extreme weight loss, severe bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps and pain

Coexisting Diseases and Conditions

Anemia, colorectal cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lichen planus, and autoimmune hepatitis.

Recent research shows that inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) may lead to the development of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Risk Factors and Prevalence

Ulcerative colitis is more likely to develop between the ages of 15 and 30 years old. Research has also indicated that family history of the disease is a risk factor. Ulcerative colitis is generally more common amongst Caucasians. Jewish populations, specifically Ashkenazi Jews, have a high prevalence of the disease. 

Recent Research

Sources

  1. Article Sources

    1. Childers, R. E., Eluri, S., Vazquez, C., Weise, R. M., Bayless, T. M., & Hutfless, S. (2014). Family history of inflammatory bowel disease among patients with ulcerative colitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Crohn’s & colitis, 8(11), 1480–1497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crohns.2014.05.008.

    2. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Ulcerative Colitis: Symptoms, Treatment, Living With It & Diagnosis. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10351-ulcerative-colitis. 

    3. Misra, R., Faiz, O., Munkholm, P., Burisch, J., & Arebi, N. (2018). Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease in racial and ethnic migrant groups. World journal of gastroenterology, 24(3), 424–437. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v24.i3.424.

    4. Schiff, E. R., Frampton, M., Semplici, F., Bloom, S. L., McCartney, S. A., Vega, R., Lovat, L. B., Wood, E., Hart, A. L., Crespi, D., Furman, M. A., Mann, S., Murray, C. D., Segal, A. W., & Levine, A. P. (2018). A New Look at Familial Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Ashkenazi Jewish Population. Digestive diseases and sciences, 63(11), 3049–3057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-018-5219-9.

    5. Parakala, M. (n.d.). Fatigue, sleep, and IBD – A patient perspective. ImproveCareNow. Retrieved from https://www.improvecarenow.org/fatigue_sleep_and_ibd_a_patient_perspective