What are the symptoms of ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic non-specific intestinal inflammatory disease that mainly affects the large intestine, especially the colon and rectum. Its symptoms are diverse and relapsing.

Patients often experience diarrhea, which is one of the main symptoms of ulcerative colitis. The frequency and degree of diarrhea vary depending on the severity of the disease. In mild cases, defecation may be 2 to 5 times a day, while in severe cases, it may be 20 to 30 times. The nature of feces also varies. It can be soft, mushy, watery, but more common is mucus, pus and blood. This kind of stool is mixed with mucus and pus and blood, and sometimes appears as dysentery-like pus and blood stool.

Abdominal pain is also a common symptom of ulcerative colitis, and most patients will experience mild to moderate abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is usually located in the left lower abdomen or lower abdomen, and can also involve the entire abdomen. Abdominal pain usually resolves with bowel movements, which is a characteristic of ulcerative colitis abdominal pain.

In addition, patients may also experience systemic symptoms, such as fever, weight loss, fatigue, anemia, etc. Fever is mostly low or moderate, and a few patients may develop high fever. Weight loss and anemia are caused by long-term diarrhea, bloody stools, and malabsorption of nutrients.

In addition to the above intestinal symptoms, ulcerative colitis may also cause extraintestinal symptoms, such as joint pain, skin erythema, eye conjunctivitis, etc. Although these symptoms are not as typical as intestinal symptoms, they are also manifestations of ulcerative colitis that cannot be ignored.

In general, the symptoms of ulcerative colitis are complex and diverse, which not only affect intestinal function, but may also involve multiple systems throughout the body. Therefore, once suspected symptoms appear, you should seek medical treatment promptly for diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, patients should also pay attention to adjusting their diet and lifestyle to reduce symptoms and promote recovery.

References:https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/ulcerative-colitis

(Click to view the introduction of drugs for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. For specific drug details, please click for one-to-one consultation.)