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- What is ulcerative colitis?
- Symptoms of ulcerative colitis
- Causes of ulcerative colitis
- Prevention of ulcerative colitis
- Risk factors for ulcerative colitis
- Complications of ulcerative colitis
- When to see a doctor about ulcerative colitis
- Diagnosis of ulcerative colitis
- Conventional treatment of ulcerative colitis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of ulcerative colitis
- Living with ulcerative colitis
- Caring for someone with ulcerative colitis
Complications of ulcerative colitis
There are a great number of complications of ulcerative colitis:
- Abscesses - if any part of the bowel becomes infected and inflamed, it can fill up with pus and cause an abscess to develop, which are treated by antibiotics; sometimes the abscess needs to be drained if the antibiotics do not heal the infection
- Anaemia - many people with ulcerative colitis have deficiency of intrinsic factor, associated with a lack of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) due to malabsorption and this can result in anaemia
- Arthritis - people with inflammatory bowel disease are also at very high risk of also developing arthritis, because this condition is also due to inflammation in the body, so this is yet another complication
- Dehydration - the person with ulcerative colitis may becomes dehydrated due to the malabsorption problems
- Malnutrition - people with ulcerative colitis may have malnutrition and deficiency in a number of nutrients, despite eating a healthy diet and this is because of the colon's malfunction and inability to absorb any nutrients properly or at all. Especially at risk of deficiency are the fat-soluble vitamins and this is because of the colon's inability to deal properly with fat absorption and these vitamins need some dietary fat in order to be absorbed properly: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K
- Weight loss - people with ulcerative colitis can experience weight loss, due to malabsorption of nutrients from food eaten, due to the colon's malfunction and inability to absorb nutrients properly or at all
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There are also a number of rarer, but very serious complications of ulcerative colitis:
- Bowel obstruction - if any part of the bowel becomes blocked, either by an abscess, a fistula, stricture or immovable waste, this is a very serious problem. A blocked bowel needs immediately surgery to remove the blockage, otherwise it can be fatal
- Bowel perforation and peritonitis - if there are cysts in the colon and if there is enough pressure on these cysts, it can cause them to burst. If the force of the burst cysts is great enough, it can cause the bowel (colon) to perforate (burst) too. The infected substance within the cysts can leak into the peritoneum (bowel cavity) and can spread to other abdominal organs. This is very severe and can be fatal if untreated with immediate surgery to remove the infected substance out of the abdominal cavity, removed damaged tissue and provide high dose antibiotics to stop the infection
- Colon cancer - people with long term, chronic and severe ulcerative colitis may have a higher risk of developing colon cancer, especially because this condition can cause polyp development in the colon, which can become malignant over time
- Inability of the blood to clot properly - the red blood cells may not be able to clot properly, which means wounds or injuries do not heal properly and this is a high risk factor for internal bleeding. This complication may be due to deficiency of intrinsic factor, associated with a lack of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) due to malabsorption
- Severe internal bleeding - this can occur during a very severe episode of ulcerative colitis and cause heavy bleeding through the rectum. This condition is life threatening as the patient will need a blood transfusion and possibly surgery to remove the bowel if it does not stop bleeding
- Toxic megacolon - also known as acute dilation. This occurs during a severe episode of ulcerative colitis, which causes the transverse colon to get much bigger than normal and this is life threatening and needs to be treated in hospital with potassium and intravenous fluids or surgery to remove the bowel if it does not improve with treatment
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< 5: risk factors 7: when to see a doctor > Last reviewed: 30 September 2008 || Last updated: 14 February 2009
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
