The colon is part of the digestive tract. When food is ingested it goes through the mouth, down the esophagus, to the stomach, then to the small intestine, which empties into the large intestine. The large intestine, averaging three feet in length, absorbs nutrients and water from food as it pushes it along toward the rectum. Once the food, now a waste product, reaches the rectum it is eliminated in the form of a bowel movement.

How Ulcerative Colitis affects the Colon

Ulcerative colitis is a disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the top layers of the lining of the colon. The inflammation usually occurs in the rectum and lower part of the colon, but it may affect the entire colon. Ulcerative colitis rarely affects the small intestine except for the lower section, called the ileum. Ulcerative colitis may also be called colitis, ileitis, or proctitis. The inflammation makes the colon empty frequently, causing diarrhea. Ulcers form in places where the inflammation has killed colon lining cells; the ulcers bleed and produce pus and mucus. It is not quite understood what causes Ulcerative Colitis. There is

It is estimated that 500,000 Americans suffer from Ulcerative Colitis. The disorder is usually diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, but Ulcerative Colitis affects people of all ages, young and old. Neither men, nor women are more susceptible to getting the disease. Today, most documented cases of ulcerative colitis occur in North America, Europe, and in a few areas of the Middle East, Australia, and Japan. There is little data about its prevalence in Asia, Africa, and South America. There is evidence that heredity may play a role in some of the Ulcerative Colitis cases.

After a physical exam and history analysis, blood tests will be done most likely, and a stool sample will be collected to test for blood. These two tests can produce good indicators of Ulcerative Colitis, but the best way to diagnose the disease is to do a colonoscopy and take biopsies. A colonoscopy is a thin, lighted tube inserted through the rectum and into the colon to examine the lining of the colon and a biopsy is the removal of a sample of colon tissue for testing. These tests will enable the doctor to see inside your colon and diagnose the disease.

There is no way to cure the colon of Ulcerative Colitis, but there is a way to remove the entire colon or a part of it and resection the colon. This means you could take out part of the colon or all of it and attach the small intestine or non-inflamed part of the colon to the anus. This is a difficult invasive technology that requires lots of time to recover from and may include more than one surgery. It may also include the wearing of an outside colostomy bag for a couple months, till the reconnecting can be done. A colon resection is often the last resort for a person who can't control their disease with medication and diet therapy or their disease has destroyed too much of their colon and it must come out.

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