The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Colitis includes the 5 symptoms listed below:
Research symptoms & diagnosis of Colitis:
Review medical complications possibly associated with Colitis:
Diagnostic testing of medical conditions related to Colitis:
Do I have Colitis?
Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas:
Home medical tests related to Colitis:
The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Colitis includes:
See the full list of 2 alternative diagnoses for Colitis
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
More information about symptoms of Colitis and related conditions:
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Colitis are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Colitis.
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Yogurt, probiotics and nutritional therapy can be a comfort to people living with inflammatory bowel disease. Listen to experts discuss this approach...
People with colitis and Crohn's disease have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. Listen as experts explain the link between IBD...
People with Crohn's and colitis can become malnourished because they can't absorb certain nutrients. Listen to experts discuss the complex...
This program discusses medical issues affecting children diagnosed with Crohn's disease and ulcerative coltitis, types of inflammatory bowel...
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Colitis.
The hallmark of ulcerative colitis is recurrent attacks of bloody diarrhea, in many cases containing pus and mucus, interspersed with asymptomatic remissions. The intensity of these attacks varies with the extent of inflammation. It isn’t uncommon for a patient with ulcerative colitis to have as many as 15 to 20 liquid, bloody stools daily. Other symptoms include spastic rectum and anus, abdominal pain, irritability, weight loss, weakness, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting.
Ulcerative colitis may lead to complications, such as hemorrhage, stricture, or perforation of the colon. Other complications include joint inflammation, ankylosing spondylitis, eye lesions, mouth ulcers, liver disease, and pyoderma gangrenosum. Scientists think that these complications occur when the immune system triggers inflammation in other parts of the body. These disorders are usually mild and disappear when the colitis is treated.
Patients with ulcerative colitis have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer; children with ulcerative colitis may experience impaired growth and sexual development.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
The hallmark of ulcerative colitis is bloody diarrhea. The intensity of these attacks varies with the extent of inflammation. Patients with mild to moderate disease may experience five or fewer bowel movements per day with intermittent bleeding and mucus production. Individuals may experience left lower quadrant pain relieved by defecation, along with fecal urgency and tenesmus. Patients with more severe disease will have more than five bowel movements per day, which may result in anemia, hypovolemia, and impaired nutrition. Extracolonic manifestations also may be present, including erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum, episcleritis, thromboembolic events, and arthritis.
Ulcerative colitis may lead to complications affecting the following organs and systems:
❑ Blood: anemia from iron deficiency, coagulation defects due to vitamin K deficiency
❑ Skin: erythema nodosum on the face and arms; pyoderma gangrenosum on the legs and ankles
❑ Eye: uveitis
❑ Liver: pericholangitis, sclerosing cholangitis, cirrhosis, possible cholangiocarcinoma
❑ Musculoskeletal: arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, loss of muscle mass
❑ GI: strictures, pseudopolyps, stenosis, and perforated colon, leading to peritonitis and toxemia.
CLINICAL TIP: The risk of colorectal cancer in patients who have had ulcerative colitis for more than 10 years increases by approximately 1% per year. Also, patients with disease proximal to the sigmoid colon have an increased risk of developing colon carcinomas.
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Colitis. This signs and symptoms information for Colitis has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Colitis signs or Colitis symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Colitis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Colitis symptoms.
What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2009 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved.
