Treatment For Colitis: Start Early, Be Safe
Colitis is actually the inflammation of the membrane that forms a lining along the colon of the large intestine or bowel. It can be acute or chronic. Colitis causes ulcers or sores in the layers of the large intestine. The inflammation causes the colon to empty frequently and causes diarrhea. The ulcers are formed in the places where the inflammation kills the colon lining cells. These ulcers bleed and also give out pus and mucus. Therefore, the treatment for colitis should be started as early as possible.
As part of the treatment, the patient is advised to regularly visit the health care provider as soon as the symptoms are noticed. With regular monitoring to assess the conditions of the colitis, there are certain cases when you get the indications of the disease like diarrhea lasting for more than three days, severe pain in the rectum or the abdomen, indications of dry mouth, anxiety and restlessness and excessive thirst. Other ways to find out are: blood in the stool, fever with diarrhea etc.
When the patient finds these conditions persistent for too long, the first step is to consult a doctor for the treatment. There are many treatment ways for Colitis. The treatment for colitis depends entirely on the seriousness of the disease because different people are affected differently. Most cases are treated with medication. However, extreme and severe cases of Colitis are treated with the help of surgery. In surgery, the diseased colon is removed. The treatment relieves the patient from inflammation and replaces the nutritional losses.
Other treatment options include intake of drugs to control mild diarrhea which are Diphenoxylate, Loperamide, and Codeine which may help in reducing bowel movements. These medicines also give relief from the feeling of going to the bathroom repeatedly. Cholestyramine is an agent that binds bile salts and helps to give relief from diarrhea particularly for those people who get their small intestine removed. There are some more drugs that help in getting rid of the disease of Colitis and help to sooth the pain. The first level of treatment for mild or moderate colitis is the ASA agents which include sulfonamide, salicylate and sulfa pyridine. Sulfasalazine is the most common drug which is used. However, there are some side effects also like vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea and nausea. Drug therapy also includes Mesalazine which is used for colitis and ulcerative colitis. If you suffer from severe colitis, you may be treated with corticosteroids. This may also cause side effects like acne, facial hair, weight gain and high blood pressure. Apart from the drug therapy, aggressive therapy is also used for treatment of colitis which involves hospital admission and surgery. With these important tips on treatment for colitis, it is important to begin appropriate treatment as early as possible.
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