Ulcerative Colitis Research Paper

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Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease. It causes long lasting inflammation and ulcers in the colon and rectum, also known as the large bowel. Ulcerative Colitis is considered an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the lining of the large bowel. The exact cause of Ulcerative Colitis is unknown. It was previously thought that diet and stress were a cause, but they now know that while these factors may aggravate UC, they are not the cause. A possible cause of UC is an immune system malfunction. When the body is trying to fight off an infection, an abnormal response can occur which causes the immune system to attack the colon cells. Hereditary factors also play a role with Ulcerative Colitis, as it is more prevalent in…show more content…
Ulcerative Proctitis which means the inflammation is just in the rectum; and Proctosigmoiditis which involves the rectum and sigmoid colon which is the lower end of the intestine. There is also Left-sided colitis, which involves the rectum, sigmoid and descending colon; Pancolitis affects the entire colon and Fulminant colitis is a rare and severe form of UC which can be life-threating and affects the entire…show more content…
Blood tests check for anemia and signs of infection while stool samples check for white blood cells which can indicate UC and can also rule out other disorders. A colonoscopy allows the doctor to view the entire colon and the doctor can also take small tissue samples that can provide a diagnosis. A flexible sigmoidoscopy is similar to a colonoscopy except it is just used to examine the rectum and sigmoid which can be used when your colon is severely inflamed. An x-ray is used when there are severe symptoms and is used to check for things such as a perforated colon while a CT scan can show inflammation and can reveal how much of the intestines are inflamed. Ulcerative Colitis isn’t an easy disease to live with. It causes the sufferer quite a lot of pain and discomfort. It usually results in some if not all of the colon being removed. It doesn’t just affect the sufferer but family members as well. "What Is Ulcerative Colitis? What Causes Ulcerative Colitis." MNT. MediLexicon International Limited, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2014. "Ulcerative Colitis." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Research, 9 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Nov.

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