Ulcerative colitis: is it serious? Here’s how to treat it

Ulcerative colitis is a disease in which the lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum become inflamed. It is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis: is it serious? In this article we look at key aspects of this pathology, what to avoid to make the condition worse and what is the best treatment for ulcerative colitis, including adjuvant elements such as silica.

What is ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease that causes ulcers and inflammation inside the large intestine. Like Crohn’s disease, colitis is one of the most common types of inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis often causes abdominal cramps, increased bowel movements and diarrhoea with the possibility of blood.

In general, people with ulcerative colitis tend to have flares or periods with more symptoms followed by longer, asymptomatic stages of remission.

When is colitis severe?

Colitis is most serious when it persists over time. A severe case can seriously damage the colon and affect your quality of life.

When the disease worsens and causes symptoms such as frequent bowel movements and possibly bloody diarrhoea, tachycardia, tenderness in the abdomen, fever, inflammation and anaemia, it is called severe acute ulcerative colitis.

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis

Symptoms can vary in severity and may start slowly or suddenly. Most commonly, more than half of people with ulcerative colitis experience only mild symptoms.

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis may include:

• Abdominal pain and cramps.
• Blood and/or pus in the stool.
• Diarrhoea.
• Weight loss.
• Bowel sounds (similar to a splashing sound).
• Sensation of need to defecate.
• Abdominal pain and cramps.

How can ulcerative colitis be cured? Treatment options

The main goal of treatment for ulcerative colitis is to help patients gain control of their immune system. There is no single treatment for ulcerative colitis, but we can use a combination of treatment options to help you maintain control of the disease and have a better quality of life (always in consultation with a healthcare professional).

Treatment of ulcerative colitis may include the use of drugs, dietary modifications, and sometimes surgical procedures that can repair or even remove the affected parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

• Medication:

Its aim is to reduce the number of attacks: paracetamol, 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, biological therapy… Drugs such as ibuprofen or aspirin should not be taken.

See a specialist before starting any medication.

• Nutrition:

There are some types of food that can make gas and diarrhoea worse. This problem can be more severe during times of active disease. Here are dietary recommendations to improve the symptoms of ulcerative colitis:

• Eat small amounts of food throughout the day.
• Drink plenty of water (small amounts throughout the day).
• Avoid high-fibre foods such as bran, beans, nuts, seeds and popcorn.
• Avoid fatty, fried foods and sauces, such as butter, margarine and heavy cream.
• Limit dairy products if you are lactose intolerant. Dairy products are a good source of protein and calcium.

• Stress

People suffering from a gut flare-up often feel depressed, sad and worried. Other stressful events, such as moving house or losing a job or a loved one, can also lead to worsening digestive problems.

If you are going through a difficult situation, it is advisable to visit your doctor for more advice on how to manage stress.

• Surgery

Surgery to remove the colon cures ulcerative colitis and eliminates the threat of colon cancer. You may need surgery if you have:

• Changes in the lining of the colon that suggest an increased risk of cancer.
• Colitis that has not responded to comprehensive medical therapy.
• Serious problems, such as rupture of the colon or severe bleeding.

Complementary tools for the treatment of ulcerative colitis

• Mind-body therapy: Yoga, meditation, taichi…
• Vitamins and other supplements:
• Silica: This mineral has very important functions in our organism. Among them, it promotes the production of collagen, effective in patients with ulcerative colitis, in which the wall of the digestive tract may be inflamed, eroded and ulcerated, which can cause symptoms such as diarrhoea or abdominal pain, among others. Supplements such as Silicium G7 Original or Living Silica Collagen Booster provide organic silica with rapid and effective assimilation.
• Vitamin D: If you have ulcerative colitis, especially if you need steroids, you may be at risk of low vitamin D levels.
• Calcium: Many people with ulcerative colitis need more calcium and vitamin D than the average healthy adult. Therefore, people with IBD, ulcerative colitis and similar, may benefit from a daily supplementation of 1000-1500 mg calcium and 2000-4000 IU vitamin D. Remember that this is a recommendation and you should always consult your doctor.

Talk to your doctor about other supplements being studied to see if they might help you manage your ulcerative colitis.

What makes ulcerative colitis worse?

If you want to reduce the likelihood of an ulcerative colitis flare-up, it is important to identify and avoid triggers. Here are tips to avoid the most common triggers:

1. Manage stress: Get at least seven hours of sleep a night, exercise regularly and find healthy ways to relieve stress, such as meditation or yoga.
2. Avoid NSAIDs: If you ever need relief from pain or fever, use paracetamol instead of NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or aspirin, as these can worsen the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
3. Avoid foods that can trigger ulcerative colitis flare-ups: There is no specific list of these foods, as they can vary from person to person. It is therefore important to eat a healthy diet and observe what reactions and sensations different foods give you when you eat them, and then write them down to avoid them and share this with your doctor. However, it is advisable to avoid dairy and high-fibre foods.

Ulcerative colitis, one of the most common forms of IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease).

The cause of ulcerative colitis is complex and involves many risk factors. Most agree that it is related to an overactive immune response. Therefore, when treating ulcerative colitis, it is important to adapt your diet to the condition and to manage stress. This will allow you to reduce symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea and involuntary weight loss associated with ulcerative colitis.

For most people, ulcerative colitis is a chronic or long-term disease. It can have flare-ups and periods without any symptoms (called remission). For this reason, adjuvant treatments such as certain vitamins and minerals like silica can help in the formation of collagen, thus helping to improve the walls of the intestinal tract and thus the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.