Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis
There is no real cure for ulcerative colitis, and anti-inflammatory agents play a major role in controlling the symptoms. Ulcerative colitis treatment utilizes anti-inflammatory agents applied to the colon in the form of an enema.
Sulphasalazine is one such medicine, which can be used.
Steroids like prednisone given as an enema are of great value, yet prolonged steroid therapy beyond four weeks also carries with it the risk of bleeding, perforation of the bowel and superadded infection.
Fulminant cases will require systemic steroids for even as long as three weeks.
As the disease has an immune basis, immunosuppressant has been tried in the form of such drugs as Methotrexate and Azathioprine.
If the diarrhea is severe, the patient may suffer from dehydration and may have to be admitted to hospital for intravenous fluid and medicated enemas. It is important to maintain the patient’s nutrition in these times, by supplying a diet with adequate calories.
Severe bleeding resulting in low hemoglobin may necessitate blood transfusion.
Commercial ulcerative colitis remedies and ulcerative colitis diet recommendations are of doubtful value, though some patients find tem useful.
Role of Surgery
Life threatening emergency like toxic megacolon torrential bleeding, rupture of the bowel may require an immediate surgery. An operation may also be required if there are some of the complications like perforation of the intestine or stricture formation.
Most of the operations aim at removing the colon along the diseased length and connecting the remaining portions of the intestines back together. Sometimes an Ileostomy may have to performed which is bringing the small bowel upon the front of one’s abdomen and fashioning an opening via the abdominal wall.
