Ulcerative colitis toolkit

Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation (swelling) and sores (called ulcers) in the large intestine (colon and rectum), a part of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Ulcerative colitis may start slowly and get worse for many weeks. It can have times of remission (times when you feel well) or times when it is mildly, moderately or severely active. More about ulcerative colitis.  

While there is no cure for ulcerative colitis, there are treatments that can help.  

Ulcerative colitis can happen at any age, but it is more likely to develop in people between the ages of 15 and 30, or older than 60 years of age.  

Most symptoms of ulcerative colitis relate to bowel movements. The symptoms of ulcerative colitis can vary from person to person, based on where the disease is in the body and how bad the inflammation is. 

The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis are: 

• Diarrhea (loose stool), which is often the first symptom. 
• Blood in the stool. 
• Urgency, or immediate need, to go to the bathroom. 
• Increased number of bowel movements. 
• Belly pain and cramping. 

Ulcerative colitis can cause other symptoms throughout your body. The inflammation of ulcerative colitis can also affect your joints or skin, leading to painful joints and skin rashes. During a flare-up, symptoms may go beyond those that affect the digestive system, including: 

• Rashes or patches of red, swollen skin. 
• Painful or swollen joints. 
• Mouth ulcers. 
• Red, irritated eyes. 

The diagnosis of ulcerative colitis will usually require an evaluation by a gastroenterologist. 

There are many tests your gastroenterologist can do to find out if you have ulcerative colitis. First, he or she will take your past health and family health info, listen to your symptoms, and do an exam to feel and listen to your belly. No one test makes the diagnosis, but testing is used to confirm the gastroenterologist’s clinical suspicion that ulcerative colitis is causing symptoms. 

Read more about tests for ulcerative colitis.  

Treatment will depend on the severity of the disease, past complications, and response to earlier treatments. Treatment options for ulcerative colitis involve medications, surgery or a combination. More about treatment options for ulcerative colitis. 

The goal of using medications are to start or keep up remission (no symptoms) and to improve quality of life. Medications fall into five classes of drugs: aminosalicylates (5-ASA’s), corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, biologic treatments, and biosimilar treatments. Learn more.

Even with the availability of medicines to treat ulcerative colitis, surgery may still be needed to manage the disease. There are a few types of surgery that your gastroenterologist with discuss with you. More about surgery for ulcerative colitis. 

Yes. There are two main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Ulcerative colitis is more common worldwide than Crohn’s disease. More about IBD. 

Consuming a wide variety of foods with fiber is important for gut health in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. More tips about fiber.  

If you have IBD, you need to work closely with your health care providers to make sure you are getting the vaccines you need at the right time. Review AGA’s recommendations for vaccines in adults with IBD.