Ulcerative Colitis Essay

3712 Words15 Pages
Is Infliximab an effective treatment in inducing and maintaining remission in Ulcerative Colitis? Ulcerative Colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. It is a chronic illness which affects the colon (large intestine). The colon is the last past of the digestive system (see Figure 1). It is a three to five feet long thick muscular organ and has an inverted U shape. The colon receives waste products from the small intestine through the ileocecal valve. Peristalsis (muscular wavelike motion) moves the waste products forward through the colon. The colon absorbs the nutrients and water from those waste products and eliminates them from the body in the form of faeces through the rectum and the anus. Ulcerative colitis is the inflammation…show more content…
The first description of Ulcerative Colitis was made by an Englishman named Wilks in 1859. It is an uncommon condition and 10 new cases are made every year per 100,000 people. It is estimated that currently 100,000 people in England suffer from this condition. The condition can affect any age group but normally peaks itself between the age of 15 and 30. It is more common among white people of European descent particularly descendants of Ashkenazi Jewish community (Jews who lived in Eastern Europe and Russia) and black people. It is rarer in Asian communities. Both males and females are equally affected by Ulcerative Colitis. Symptoms Ulcerative Colitis is a very unpredictable disease consisting of flare up’s and periods of remission in which the individual is symptom free. The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis include: * Abdominal pain- Pain is worse after a meal and is relieved by passing wind or stools which eases the pressure on the colon. * Diarrhoea- People suffer from active diarrhoea and this may be accompanied with pus and

More about Ulcerative Colitis Essay

Open Document